Basketball Date
by slavedriver2008
Summary: For Yui Hongou and Kaede Rukawa, everything started one Valentine's Day. Dressed up as a boy, she went out and bumped into three college basketball players. Now, this Valentine's will be very different from all the rest. YuixKaede
1. Valentine's Day

_I initially wanted to put this story in my__** Chocolate Kiss **__collection but I couldn't shorten the piece. Anyway, Happy Valentines, everyone! Thank you and keep reading!_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Fushigi Yuugi and Slam Dunk are not mine._

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Valentine's Day**

By Slavedriver2008

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Being dateless on a Valentine's Day was probably the most humiliating event for a high school senior. Yui sighed and browsed through the piles of CDs in the music store. She was wearing a white razorback, blue cotton jacket, knee-high white socks, and rubber shoes. She silently berated herself for dressing like a boy, but it was the perfect camouflage. The people she knew were all somewhere around Tokyo, on a date. Still, she should have stayed at home and slept the day away. After all, Valentine's only comes once in a year.

"Hey you there, do you have a date today?" a man's voice asked and she flushed. She tucked her long hair inside a pageboy cap and as far as she knew, she doesn't look like a girl unless one looked closely. "Hey, I'm talking to you," he called again and she turned away, face down. A hand clutched her shoulder and she stiffened. She slowly turned to him and the man's eyes widened. "Yui-_chan_?"

Yui answered him with a look that bore curiosity. He knew who she was? The man had short midnight blue hair and a familiar voice, though she could not place him in her memories. There were two tall guys behind him, one had his hair in a spike and the other had it a little longer. She eyed him and after blinking countless times, the man laughed and patted her head. "You didn't recognize me, I didn't recognize you either! You're taller now and I didn't know you… well… you know…"

Yui's eyes narrowed. "I'm not a lesbian. Isn't it obvious that I'm trying to avoid being recognized?" She turned away. "Why are you in this side of Tokyo, Hi-_chan_?" she asked and the man laughed. It had been a long time since she saw him and the last time she did, Hisashi Mitsui was still in a gang. "Basketball sure changed you."

"Why are you trying to avoid attention? Don't tell me you're out with a girl?" he asked and she made a face.

"I'm straight, for Seiryuu's sake. Now go away before my classmates recognize me," she motioned with her hand. How can she tell him she doesn't have a date? It was humiliating. Knowing Hisashi, he will tease her to the core.

"Why are you—" he stopped speaking and his face lit up. Hisashi laughed loud and Yui knew it was the most imperfect time to meet him. He was not stupid or slow especially when it comes to some bantering. "You don't have a date, don't you?" he asked and Yui's cheeks flushed. "Awww… Yui-_chan_'s dateless on Valentine's Day."

"So what? Who needs a date anyway?" She continued to browse through the CDs in the rack, trying to not act defensively. She knew it, going out was a bad idea. Stumbling upon Hisashi and his basketball teammates made it worse.

"Hey, I'm just kidding. But it's a good thing you're dateless today."

"I'm _not_ dateless, I just don't want to go out with anyone," Yui clarified and the dark-haired captain rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Fine. I couldn't argue with my favorite cousin, _ne_." It was her turn to roll her eyes. Hisashi was her second cousin and they were really close, before he decided to become a bad boy. "Anyway, I'm supposed to go out with this girl and she said she's bringing two friends along. I asked my juniors in the basketball club, Sendoh Akita," he pointed to the man with spiky hair and the latter smiled. Yui smiled back, he was handsome. "and Rukawa Kaede—in exchange for a one on one." Instead of smiling, Rukawa raised an eyebrow and his coldness made Yui frown.

"_So_?" Yui cut him and Sendoh laughed lightly.

"One of the girls got bored with Rukawa and she wanted me to find another guy at the last minute." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pointed to a weird-looking girl outside the store. The girl smiled coolly at her direction. Yuck, she thought, why would anyone date a stupid-looking girl? "She had her eyes set on you. She thought you're a boy—a really cute boy."

"No," she said with a disgusted sound, pulling out a CD from the rack and skimming through the list of songs at the back. It was Incubus' latest album. She loved that band. She walked toward the listening booth but Hisashi stood on her way.

"Ahhh! But Yui-_chan_! My lovelife is at stake here!" The man she called cousin flailed wildly. "This is Rukawa's first date too! Are you ruining it for him?" Yui eyed the serious brooding basketball player. He never dated before? She looked out the window again. There was no way she'd date that girl—she's a girl too!

"I don't date boys—or in this case, _girls_—who look like they can't do basic Math. I bet she couldn't even construct a sentence in perfect English. I'm a girl for Seiryuu's sake! Why the hell are you pimping me—_your favorite cousin_—to _her_?" Sendoh laughed at her remark and she blushed, looking away.

"Hey, you're on my side, Sendoh. Anyway, don't worry, if she does something, we'll protect you. That's our job, you know." Yui rolled her eyes and walked away. Hisashi blocked her way again. "Come on, Yui. It's Valentine's Day. Since not one guy asked you out, why don't you try being one for a change? You might like girls after this date, you know."

"One more word and I'm breaking your neck, you _baka_!" Yui told him sharply and Hisashi backed off a little. Yui turned to the girl and she sent her a flying kiss. Yui shivered and tried to evade the kiss. She's a girl—A GIRL! "Eeewww! No. No. No."

"She's a medical student from America," Hisashi said. He mentioned the school and she raised an eyebrow.

"She _passed_?" she asked, unconvinced. The shooting guard nodded.

"Yeah, since you want to study in America, I thought you'd get a chance to ask how she passed the exams." Silence. Hisashi smiled, victory evident in his eyes. "So how about it Yui-_chan_? I thought you said you want to be a doctor? Or have you changed your mind already?"

Yui crossed arms. "I can pass that school on my own. I'm number one in Todai, or probably in Japan," she said confidently, earning a raised eyebrow from Rukawa. She passed him, clutching the CD in hand, toward the cashier. She was about to pay when Hisashi spoke again.

"I heard Incubus is having a concert next week. How about I get you tickets?" She turned and Hisashi smiled widely. His two companions were watching them avidly. Sendoh was really cute. Now, that's a guy she'd love to date. Why can't she date him instead?

"I can buy my own tickets." She was not planning to watch the concert but… She turned around and paid for the CD.

"Front row. No, make it VIP. You'll be face to face with Brandon Boyd." Yui's heart palpitated. She loves Brandon Boyd and apparently, Hisashi knew that. She was still debating with herself when he spoke again. "Come on, what do you think Yui-_chan_? You'll just pretend to be a guy for awhile. You don't have to talk much, just stand in for Rukawa—"

She turned around, flushing and looking away. "How long are we doing this?" she asked in a low voice and he laughed.

"Just for an hour, I'm just teaching this kiddo how to date. We'll just eat ice cream and that's it." Rukawa made a face and Sendoh laughed.

"The captain really seems eager today," Sendoh told the younger player. "But between us, she looks cute." Rukawa looked away, saying nothing.

"What a lousy plan. If I'm the girl, I won't go out with you again." Sendoh laughed louder, he was really an amusing guy. "But it works fine for me. Remember your promise, Hi-_chan_." They shook hands and Hisashi gave the group outside a thumbs-up sign.

"That's my last card, you know. I didn't know you go for dirty-looking men," Hisashi teased.

"Shut up."

Hisashi introduced her as a freshman in the team and Yui tried as much as possible to evade looking directly at Hikaru, in fear of being recognized. She now understood why Rukawa doesn't like her, she's very touchy and she kept on ogling. She was a very uncomfortable girl to date.

"What's your name?" Hikaru asked and she froze. What was she supposed to say? Was she even supposed to speak? The girl blinked and she immediately pulled out a sketchpad from her bag. She wrote a made-up name and showed it to the girl. _Shin Akihito_. The girl giggled. "That's a nice name. Why can't you speak?"

Yui wrote on her pad again. _Throat problems, sorry._The girl nodded and smiled back, blushing. Rukawa raised an eyebrow. "Your handwriting is very neat. It's just like a girl's. I think you even write better that I am!" The girl wrapped an arm around her arm and pulled her. She instinctively wrapped an arm around Rukawa and the basketball player glared at the contact. "Your skin is so soft too, Aki-_kun_!" Yui wanted the hour to end. This was by far her worst Valentine's Day date she ever had!

They were on their way to the ice cream parlor when Hisashi's date pointed to an unoccupied basketball court. "You're all college regulars, right? Why don't you play for us?" Yui froze. Wait, now that was not part of the deal. Yui immediately wrote on her sketchpad._I want ice cream_.

Hikaru laughed beside her. "But you have a throat problem, Aki-san. I want to see you play basketball!" She eyed Hisashi murderously and her cousin looked back apologetically.

"Okay then, it'll be two on two. I'll be paired with Aki-_san_ here. Sendoh and Rukawa, if you beat us, I won't make you do lapses," Hisashi said and the girls cheered, running toward the bleachers. The boys took off their shirts and Yui swallowed hard.

"You promised not to make us do lapses if we agreed to this date, captain," Sendoh said. "A two on two is fine by me, but… Yui-_san_…"

"Take your shirt off Aki-_san_!" the girls screamed and Yui flushed. She immediately wrote on her sketchpad. _Can't. Doctor's orders._Sendoh laughed lightly, trying to control himself while Hisashi threw a laughing fit.

"You're really good at this pretending thing, Yui-_chan_. You must really _love_ Brandon Boyd!" he laughed loudly again. Rukawa smirked at them. Yui hit his cousin with the sketchpad.

"You are _so_ dead after this, _baka_," she hissed out. She wanted to frown because she was feeling worse but her annoyance faded at the sight of a half-naked Sendoh. She fingered the lobe of her ear as she looked through his form discreetly. He looked very athletic, and so was Rukawa. Nice abs, she noted to herself, feigning annoyance.

"Come on, Yui-_chan_. We used to do this in middle school. Rukawa will be lenient on you—"

"Why do I get to guard the girl?" he asked in a monotonous voice and Yui's nose flared. Was this guy underestimating her? She was not a basketball player but she knew how to play decently. She was one of the best basketball players in junior high!

"Scared of me, Rukawa-_kun_?" she asked sarcastically. The guy raised an eyebrow and Hisashi went between them.

"Hey, no fights. Relax and let's finish this quickly." Hisashi patted their shoulders and pulled Yui away. "Don't fight with him, Yui-_chan_. He's our ace player. He used to be number 1 in the high school nationals. Don't fight with him, just keep passing to me. Now, let's win this." Yui sighed and secured his cap into place. She also buttoned her jacket tightly. This day was probably the worst in the world. Thank Seiryuu it's only happening once.

"Hongou-_san_," Sendoh approached her and she blushed immediately. If he was guarding her, she'd gladly give him the ball. He was so dreamy. "Don't let Rukawa get to you, he's really like that. Oh and play well. Even if you're a girl, we won't be beaten."

"We won't too," she told him and he smiled very warmly. She was grinning widely when Rukawa ran to guard her. The ball was in her possession and she tried her best to prevent him from stealing it. He put his long arms around her, their skins barely touching.

"You're too small I can easily cover you," he whispered and she flushed. She dribbled the ball behind her and stepped back but he followed her purposely, putting very little space between them. Was he… flirting with her? She swallowed hard, maybe he was doing it to ruin her concentration. What an annoying guy.

"So what?" she pushed toward him and he immediately backed off, their faces inches away. "You look handsome up close." She turned to his side and with Rukawa unaware, immediately jumped for a shot. The ball went in and the girls cheered. She pulled her cap down and smirked.

"Nice shot, Yu—Aki!" Hisashi screamed. Sendoh smiled widely too. The spiked-hair _bishounen_ was holding the ball and she was guarding the shooting guard.

"Hmmm… that was a lucky shot," Rukawa whispered, too closely in her ear. Warmth filled her again. He grazed his arm on her waist and she swallowed hard at the contact. "Smells good too…" Her eyes widened and Rukawa caught the ball over his head. He immediately turned around and threw a shot. It went in and Yui openly gaped at his shooting form. He was good, really good. No wonder he was number 1 in high school. He smirked and she made a face to hide the amusement that played over her face when he successfully shot the ball.

The game went on and Rukawa kept on whispering things in her ear. He kept on moving closer and closer too, making her heart beat wildly. They were 2 points ahead but the 2 were becoming aggressive, not to mention too close. Sendoh was making a good way of guarding her cousin so she barely had the chance to pass the ball. The cheering toned down but they were all too absorbed with the game to pay the girls attention. They didn't notice night was falling fast.

"Hoy Rukawa, not too close!" Hisashi shouted and Rukawa made a face.

"Why not?" he challenged. Rukawa smirked, dribbling the ball faster. "This shot," he whispered very softly and she blushed. He advanced toward her. "…is for you," Rukawa whispered when their faces were inches away. She lost balance and fell, very slowly. He jumped and the ball went straight in the basket. He offered her a hand and she slapped it away. Now, they were only 1 point ahead. They need to score again. She hated losing. But… did Rukawa really shoot the ball for her?

The ball was with her again and her face was warm all throughout. She couldn't even look at him. She passed the ball to Hisashi but Rukawa managed to block it. He immediately ran toward the goal to jump for a dunk. Without thinking, Yui ran and blocked him. The ball went in and they fell on the ground. He placed a hand at the back of her head to support her from the fall. Yui felt all her bones broke, her cap flew off and her hair was scattered all over the place. Rukawa's handsome face greeted her view and she blushed at the closeness. He was on top of her and was intently looking down.

"You look more beautiful up close…" he whispered and all part of her body felt warm. Then for the first time, he smiled. Yui's heart was jumping out of her chest.

"Yui-_chan_!" Hisashi screamed and Rukawa slowly moved away, not taking his beautiful dark eyes from her. Yui pushed herself up and her cousin looked with concern. "I was telling you to not block that one—"

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear," she said softly. "Oh no, my cap fell off. The—"

"They left already," Sendoh told her. "We were too engrossed with the game to notice. It's dark now, let's call it a day, _ne_ captain?"

"Geez, now I believe you're not a lesbian. Anyway, your place is nearby, right?" Hisashi asked and she nodded. "How about you cook for us, Yui-_chan_? My pocket's drained already," he said and she laughed in response.

"Okay. I'm dying to get a shower. I'm sweating like hell." She took off her jacket and Sendoh whistled. Hisashi eyed him and he smiled apologetically. Yui didn't notice. "Did we lose?"

"Nah, it's a draw." Hisashi laughed victoriously. The other two sighed and Yui laughed with him.

"Great, I hate losing," she said. "Come on. Let's go home, I'm hungry." The three nodded and they walked toward her apartment. They were nearby when she realized Rukawa fell too. "Are you alright?" she asked, very softly. He didn't say anything and Hisashi suddenly patted her head.

"Do you like my ace player, huh, Yui-_chan_?" he asked and she flushed.

"WHAT? I was just—It's your fault this happened, _ne_! If you weren't too keen on dating that girl, this wouldn't have happened." Hisashi smiled.

"Nah, my plan succeeded, you know." Yui looked at him quizzically. "I managed to find this punk a date." He pointed toward Rukawa and Yui became more confused. How can he find a date? She took over his place. "Still as clueless as ever. No wonder you don't have a date, I bet you unintentionally dumped all the men who wanted to ask you out." Yui eyed him and Hisashi laughed louder. "But seriously Yui-_chan_, you should look around you. The right guy is just probably around… but he has to beat me in basketball first."

"I don't understand you at all. Did you hit your head?" she asked and Hisashi smirked.

"Whatever. You'll get what I mean soon." He asked what she planned to cook and she shrugged her shoulders. He suggested food and she went through the stocks in her refrigerator. She just visited the groceries so her sustenance was full. Now, she should cook a very delicious meal for them. She blushed. She didn't get a date but she somehow had fun hanging out with these college boys.

"Are you hurt?" Someone asked and she looked up to find Rukawa watching her. Her heart palpitated wildly again. She shook her head very slowly. He smiled, a very thin smile. "Good."

Yui wanted to faint.

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A/N:**__ This one's very discreet but I can't lengthen it much because I'm watching the word count. Ehehehe! I love Rukawa Kaede. I didn't like him much in the anime but when I read the manga, I immediately fell in love with him. *blush* Btw, I don't usually resort to these things, but if I get like 10 positive reviews, I'll continue this to a complete story._


	2. AfterSchool

_I never thought I'd actually receive reviews for this fic. It's admittedly one of my favorite stories and it took me months of continuous story polishing before I uploaded the previous chapter. I'm not sure if this chappie will be as good but I do hope it'll make you continue reading and leaving reviews. The reason I put this second chapter is because my best friend found this story and FORCED me to continue this (threatens to ruin my Saturday date if I don't—what a friend). I have 5 reviews already so I guess it's not too bad to update? Btw, thanks for reading! :)_

_**LeeRaRa:**__ Wow, thanks for liking the pairing. I like Yui and Rukawa too. :D Putting them together in one story makes a perfect shoujo story. :D_

_**ThePinkMartini:**__ I love that part of the story too! ^_^ You can't imagine how many times I had to revise the story to have a fitting flow of events for the basketball showdown part. ;p_

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Well, I've been waiting for the reviews to reach 10 as well, but I guess 6 is the most number of reviews this fic can generate for me, which is not bad since my most read story had 7 reviews at the most per chapter. :D_

_**MiraShio**__: Your threatening 'forced' me to continue this fic. Haha. :D But seriously, I hope this chapter live up to the first chappie._

_**Sara:**__ Yeah, am continuing this fic so please keep on reading and reviewing! :D_

_**Disclaimer: **__FY and Slam Dunk are not mine._

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After-school**

By Slavedriver2008

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Yui checked the wall clock and waited for the bell to ring. She watched the seconds hand move ever so slowly, wishing it would tick faster and make classes end. She will be meeting Hi-_chan_ later for the concert tickets and she couldn't wait to get her hands on it. The concert will happen in less than 24 hours and she was too excited, having already decided who to ask for a date. Her cheeks brightened and she cupped her face, wishing the teacher did not see her reaction.

Someone cleared a throat beside her and she saw Miaka with a smug reaction. The brunette threw her a crumpled ball of paper and Yui opened it, reading what her best friend wrote. _What's with the blush? Are you dating anyone? – Miaka_

Yui immediately wrote down a response. _I'm meeting my cousin later, he's giving me concert tickets for tomorrow. Do you think he'd go with me? I heard he just broke up with this model…_ Miaka took the paper quietly and smirked as she read the paper. She wrote down a response and gave it to her. Yui glimpsed at the clock and then at the board. The teacher was still writing down lectures. She slowly opened the crumpled sheet and read the contents. _By all means yes, Yui-chan. You've been crushing on him for Suzaku knows how long. I'm sure Kyouko doesn't mind if you're dating her brother._Yui flushed and she immediately placed the paper inside her pocket. The bell rung and her smile widened.

Without another word, Yui stood from her seat and walked toward Miaka's table. "Taka's taking me home later. You can go ahead, Yui. Just call and tell me what will happen." Miaka winked and Yui nodded eagerly.

"Okay, I'll call once I get home." Yui immediately walked out of the room, almost in a jog. She was slightly out of breath when she reached the last floor of the building. She turned toward the gates and slowly walked outside, looking around for her cousin.

"Hoy Yui-_chan_!" Hisashi called and she turned, smiling wide as she walked toward the basketball player. She was slightly surprised to see a tall figure behind him. Sendoh waved and she smiled wider, slowly looking around for a familiar brooding figure. "It's about time your classes end." Hisashi immediately pulled out 2 tickets from his pocket and handed it to her.

A yawn came from her left and she blushed instantaneously when Rukawa stepped into view. He was sleeping on a nearby tree and woke up when she arrived. He eyed her seriously and looked away, turning toward the other side of the road without saying a single greeting.

"I didn't know you'd bring Sendoh along," Yui noted, slightly annoyed the ace player ignored her. After flirting with her last week, he just pushed her aside. Unbelievable. Was she ugly? Sendoh laughed lightly and Rukawa eyed her from the sides of his eyes. She avoided his stares as if he was not there. If he can act like nothing happened, she can do it as well.

"Hey, hey! We're older than you, okay. Learn to respect your _sempais_," Hisashi told her and Yui rolled her eyes. The shooting guard rubbed his chin and nodded. "You're really all-grown up now, eh. What happened to that ugly tomboyish kid?"

Yui looked at him with disbelief. "Ugly—?" She eyed him sharply. "How can you say that after you devoured my refrigerator?" Sendoh smiled apologetically and Hisashi made a sound. "Do you realize how I worked so hard every weekend just to buy my own food?" It was the truth: the three ate everything on her refrigerator last week. She never thought they eat that much.

"The captain is very mean to one of Jounan's prettiest girls," Sendoh stated and Yui flushed. She covered her mouth and looked away, earning a laugh from the tall guy.

"Hey, I said no flirting. Yui-_chan_'s my blood-relative so bug off!" Hisashi warned. "I won't let you troublemakers have your way with my cousin—"

"Are you hurrying to go home? I'm on a budget but I can treat you, just a little something for the wonderful meal last week," Sendoh said, smiling warmly. He completely ignored the captain and Yui flushed more when he leaned closer. He was so tall Yui had to really look up to meet his gaze.

"HEY—HEY!—" Hisashi reacted.

"_Hai_!" Yui responded with a sweet smile. Sendoh blushed lightly and nodded. Her motioned her to walk toward the other side and Yui tried to focus her attention on the handsome basketball player. Rukawa eyed her sharply and she looked away, ignoring him again.

"Hey Sendoh, you're crossing the line!" Hisashi screamed behind them and Yui found the 2 former Shohoku boys following them. "I'll make you do lapses for this!"

"The captain is very protective of Yui-_san_," Sendoh noted, slightly frowning at the warning.

"Don't mind him. My father used to always ask him to take care of me when he's on a business trip so Hisashi tend to be protective," she answered him, still smiling. Walking beside a tall basketball player was a little tiring, she realized a little later. Sendoh walked fast and she has to pace with him. She was not sure if he noticed, though, and she was quite ashamed to point it out.

They came across some of her school mates and some greeted her. She smiled and waved back, not wanting to stop for them. "You're popular…" he teased and she rolled her eyes.

"Not really. I guess being part of the student council requires me to be popular." Sendoh laughed lightly at her remark. He was a very pleasing guy. He doesn't make her heart race but he can make her feel warm. Maybe because he's so handsome and athletic. Girls always have a soft spot for athletes.

"You're very different from the captain—"

"I heard that!" Hisashi screamed, walking beside a serious Rukawa. Yui shook her head.

"Whatever, Hi-_chan_."

"Oh, we're here," Sendoh said and Yui looked up to the place he pointed out, expecting a posh coffee shop. Her face fell when instead of an al fresco dining area, she saw the convenience store. He noticed the disappointment in her eyes. "I'm sorry it's the only thing I can offer. But don't be ashamed to get anything you want," he said apologetically. Hisashi laughed behind them while Rukawa smirked. Sendoh flushed lightly and looked down ashamed. "I guess you're not the type to eat at convenience stores. We can try the coffee shop—"

Yui chuckled and Sendoh blushed at her reaction. She was more beautiful when she laughs, he thought. The blonde girl looked up and smiled warmly. "Akita-_san_ is very amusing." Before Hisashi could react, Yui grabbed his arms and pulled the surprised college sophomore inside.

Akita followed her, leaning down as she yanked him inside. Yui only let go of him when they were inside and she walked through the aisles, thinking of what to get. She hasn't been in a date for awhile and having him pay for whatever made her feel that they were on an after-school date. Okay, Hisashi was behind them but it was still sweet of him to offer her anything.

She took a small bag of chocolate chip cookies and turned to him. The latter looked away and focused his attention on the other wrapped food in the convenience store. He was probably debating with himself when to follow her. Yui shook her head and moved toward the end of the store, where the refreshments refrigerator was stored. The wide selection surprised her and she stood there choosing which one to get. An arm extended itself on her side and leaned on the glass, a body moved closer behind her and Yui shivered when a familiar voice whispered on her ear, making her heart thump wildly.

"Deciding is hard, _ne_?" Rukawa stepped closer and she was slightly pushed to the glass. Yui saw their reflection and she flushed. He was right, he can easily cover her. With eyes wide, she moved away from his arms but another hand immediately leaned on the glass, trapping her inside. Rukawa smirked victoriously and Yui looked away, face red. "So cute…"

"Go away," she ordered. Her voice broke and she thought she'd die of a heart attack. His chest was too close on her back that she could make out the beatings of his heart. Yui swallowed hard, she never thought someone as aloof as him could flirt this way. And to be this forward…

"I can't…" He laughed lightly on her ear and she flushed more. She shivered at the warmth of his breath. "You're leaning on me," he said and her eyes widened. She immediately moved away and her forehead hit the glass, creating a loud banging sound.

"Ow!" she immediately clutched her forehead, rubbing the painful spot. Tears beaded her eyes and she stifled a pained sob. Cold hands touched her nape, lifting up her head to face him. Rukawa's handsome face eyed her forehead and before Yui could react, he softly pulled her closer and planted a kiss on the throbbing red spot. Yui's eyes widened and the earth suddenly stopped moving. Her heart stopped beating too, Yui thought she'd die right there and there.

Slowly, Rukawa moved a few inches away, looking down to meet her eyes. "Always so careless…" Redness filled her cheeks and her heart immediately pumped loudly. Now it was giving her a heart attack. His big hands cupped her cheek and he gently thumbed her skin. His dark irises, that earlier eyed her sharply, were looking at her with softness. She blinked. Was she really staring at Rukawa? As if reading her thoughts, the man smiled thinly. "But still so beautiful…"

"Where's Yui—" Hisashi spoke aloud and Rukawa immediately moved away, turning toward one of the refrigerators and opening it to get a soda. Yui stood transfixed into place. Just like that, the moment ended. "Hoy Yui! You got anything yet?" Hisashi asked and she turned, still in a dreamy state.

"_Hai_!" Yui smiled wide. She turned around and opened the refrigerator, taking a bottle of mango juice. She fingered her bangs, hiding the red mark, and turned again to her cousin. "Akita-_san_ is very sweet to treat me for a snack, _ne_?" she asked Hisashi, heart still flipping from the brief encounter.

The raven-haired captain nodded and eyed her suspiciously. "Why are you 2 together, huh?" Yui flushed and immediately made a face. She remembered being hostile to Rukawa earlier and decided to continue being so. Why did she even react positively toward him?

"I'm alone here, _ne_. What were you thinking?" She stormed away, turning to the left and walking toward the counter where Akita was waiting. Yui wanted to berate herself for acting so childishly. But her heart was still doing somersaults because of _him_.

Rukawa followed her with his eyes, bearing his usual serious expression. Hisashi cleared his throat and the younger man pulled out a can of bicarbonate soda and closed the door. He walked away from the captain without a word.

"I saw that." Rukawa raised an eyebrow and Hisashi smiled wide. "Until you prove yourself worthy—back off," Hisashi said with a smirk. "Beat me in basketball first." The captain turned and walked away, leaving Rukawa with a determined look on his face.

Yui's face was still aflame when they stepped out from the convenience store. She shook her head and tried to forget the incident. He was probably intentionally doing it to tease her. Nothing more, nothing less. But still, it felt nice to be trapped in his arms. Her heart started to race again when he stepped out of the convenience store with her cousin. She looked away from them. She was in no way attracted to Rukawa. What was she thinking?

"YUI!" a voice rung in the air and Yui turned. Her eyes widened when she saw her friend Kyouko, also wearing the same uniform, walking toward them and trailing behind her was the man she had been crushing on for as long as she can remember. Her face flushed more when Fujima Kenji smiled at her.

"FUJIMA?" Hisashi said with distaste.

"The Shohoku troublemakers are here," the former Shoyo captain noted, smiling. He turned toward Sendoh and laughed lightly. "And with Ryounan's Sendoh."

"Hey, we're in the same team now Fujima," Hisashi said smugly, moving toward the brown-haired guy. "I didn't know Sodai's Fujima prefers high school girls." Kyouko laughed lightly, blushing. Yui hit Hisashi in the head and the shooting guard yelped. "Hey, why d'you do that for, Yui-_chan_?"

"_Yui-chan_?" Kyouko gasped. "Are you Yui's boyfriend?"

"NO!" Yui reacted wildly, catching everyone's attention. "I mean, he's my cousin, Hisashi Mitsui."

"I could not imagine Yui having you for a cousin, Mitsui," Fujima spoke. Yui flushed. He called her Yui. Oh my god. "This is my younger sister, Kyouko. It's been awhile since we met off court, Mitsui. He's the captain of Keio's basketball team."

"Eh?" Hisashi reacted with disbelief and Kyouko laughed, fascination sketched on her face.

"I'm glad to meet you, Mitsui-_san_," Kyouko said. "So that leaves the other 2. Which is your new boyfriend, Yui?" Sendoh smiled warmly and shook his head. "Eh? Then that means…" her gaze landed on Rukawa and instead of answering, the rookie looked away.

"Rukawa is not my boyfriend!" Yui screamed again defensively. "I don't date statues, _ne_!" Hisashi and Sendoh laughed while Rukawa raised an eyebrow. Yui remembered the encounter they had inside the convenience store and she flushed. "I mean—Kyouko, I'm perfectly single," she corrected.

Fujima laughed lightly and smiled more when he met Yui's blue eyes. "I'm glad you're not dating any troublemakers, Yui. It'd be a waste for someone so pretty and smart to end up with a playboy." The world stopped moving and Yui's heart was beating too loud she'll have over-supply of oxygen.

"_Hai_…" she responded with a smile, still staring at his deep hazel eyes. He was so dreamy… No wonder Fujima Kenji was Tokyo's number 1 basketball heartthrob in the college level.

"We should go ahead. Improve your team ranking Mitsui. It'd be exciting to meet you, Akagi, and Maki in the championships—just like the good old days." He turned towards her and smiled wider. "Let's cross paths again, Yui," he said before turning away.

"Bye Yui! I'll call you!" Kyouko waved and followed her brother. Yui lifted her bag to cover her mouth, trying to hide the happiness she felt at being given Fujima's attention. He was a nice warm man and he always makes her feel so light and happy.

"So that monster Fujima has a sister. Is she your friend?" Hisashi asked and she nodded.

"_Hai_…"

"Geez. He's popular in your school too?"

"Hai!"

"Do you like him?"

"HAI!" Yui said aloud, nodding. Then she froze. She turned toward Hisashi and he threw a laughing fit. "YOU!" She slapped him with the bag but he easily evaded it.

"You're as red as a monkey, Yui-_chan_!" He laughed louder and Yui frowned. She never thought Hisashi would notice. Did he notice as well? She flushed more at the thought as Hisashi laugh hysterically.

"Continue teasing me and I'm breaking your neck, _baka_." She turned and walked away from the 3, slightly angry. It was humiliating to act dreamily in front of Kenji and having her cousin nearby was enough to make her melt in humiliation.

"Hoy, Yui!" Hisashi called but she continued to walk away. "Don't invite Fujima tomorrow!" he called seriously and Yui frowned. How on earth did he know she planned to invite Kenji for the concert? "Hey! I'm serious!" Hisashi stood before her bearing a serious expression. "Fujima is a womanizer. He'll just… ahm… you know what womanizers do—"

"Yeah? And what about Hisashi's bed? Is it very immaculate?" Hisashi frowned and she passed him. "Kenji was last year's MVP—I don't mind being in his bed." Hisashi's eyes widened and she smirked. "Thanks for the tickets. I'm going home." She couldn't believe her own cousin would disapprove of Kenji. Everyone likes Kenji, he was a very nice person.

"Hey, Yui!" Hisashi followed her and she walked faster. Yui turned at the alleyway, desperate to move away from the 3 annoying college boys. Now she was annoyed at them; why does Hisashi has to warn her about Kenji? She was about to cross the street when a hand grabbed her and sternly pushed her to the nearby wall.

"What the—"

Rukawa's cold eyes met hers and a truck passed by behind him. She gasped—she almost got hit. "I will beat Fujima in basketball," Rukawa told her in a cold almost vicious voice. Her heart palpitated again and she wanted to berate herself for feeling this way in front of Rukawa. He held her arm tighter and moved closer, face inches away. "And I'll have you in my bed."

Yui's eyes widened with disbelief. "What…?"

_**

* * *

A/N:**__What do you think? Haha. Please do leave reviews._


	3. Concert

_This is the first time I wrote a chapter on eating food so I'm not sure if you'll like the Yui-Kaede interaction here. Haha. It's not as outright as the first 2 since it's technically a chapter with only the 2 of them. Oooppsss... Sorry for the spoiler! ;p Hope you like this! Do leave reviews when you could!_

_**ThePinkMartini:**__ Haha. I've always been intrigued by Rukawa's character. In the series and in the manga, he never showed interest for any girl so it's a challenge to imagine him being such a flirty devil. I'm glad you liked his portrayal here. :)_

_**LeeRaRa:**__ Good question on the concert thing. I'd really want her to date Rukawa but... Ahahaha. Just continue reading. This is how I've always visualized this chapter. ;p_

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Yeah, she's in a harem of cutie boys! HAHA. I'm really not a fan of harem-ish stories so... I don't know. I'm playing this fiction by ear, though I've already thought up a cute and sweet ending. :)_

_**MiraShio: **__I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. Haha. It was a little messy in some parts but I'm glad it made you happy. Imagining them in this light high-schooly atmosphere is really a challenge since we're talking about 2 different animes. But it's exciting, in a way. :)_

_**Season's Call:**__ Here's an update for your puppy dog eyes! :D Yeah, imagining Rukawa being flirty is like: ARE YOU SERIOUS? I'm glad you liked it, though. It's the reason why I made him a college freshie here; so it'll be easier to establish that he's a normal basketball guy who needs a girlfriend. Haha._

_**Disclaimer:**__ FY and Slam Dunk are not mine._

**

* * *

Concert**

By Slavedriver2008

* * *

Yui sighed for the hundredth time. A sad smile spread on her face. She arranged the red beret she was wearing and leaned on her hands. She dressed up for the concert and even practiced what to tell Kenji. He agreed to accompany her to the concert but begged off earlier, just when she was already in the venue. There was an emergency, he said over the phone.

She wanted to laugh at herself; she even went shopping for their first date. It was her first serious date and it was disappointing to be turned down by the person she admired the most. She wrapped the red pea coat tighter around her, trying to cover the black and white glittery top she paired with black stockings and ankle high boots. She really dressed up for him and was even too excited she forgot to eat before leaving the apartment. Her stomach grumbled and she sighed again.

Screams filled the concert area and she looked down. When he begged off, she decided to not go inside anymore. The concert suddenly seemed the least interesting thing in the world and seeing Brandon Boyd face to face no longer excited her. Seeing the lead vocalist and hearing him sing live would have been perfect if she was beside Fujima Kenji. It would have been a date she'll remember for the rest of her life.

She kicked a bottle of soda and it flew on the pavement, creating clinking sounds as it jumped farther from her. She followed it with her eyes and was briefly surprised when it hit an ankle. The owner, immediately stepped on the can and she looked up to the man, only to be surprised when Kaede Rukawa raised an eyebrow when their eyes met.

Yui immediately looked away and smiled to herself. What a very unlucky night, she thought. Kenji stood her up on their date and she crossed paths with Keio's ace rookie, who was the last person she wanted to see. She remembered what he told her a few days ago and she flushed.

_I will beat Fujima in basketball and I will have you in my bed…_

How can someone aloof and emotionless be so… sure about one damn intimate thing? It will take him forever to beat Kenji and being in his bed… Yui gulped. She never even entertained being in anyone's bed. Talking about Kenji's bed was a way to tease Hisashi, nothing more nothing less. She stood up and walked away. His words totally blew her away and it gave her sleepless nights. Not to mention the fact that it made her heart race so fast she can't breathe—like what she was currently experiencing.

Rukawa Kaede was a dangerous and unpredictable man, if she wanted a decent high school life with a decent relationship, she should avoid him at all cost. Besides, she assured herself, it was dark. She'll pretend she didn't see him. Yui shook her head and stepped on a flattened can of soda and she slipped, losing her balance and falling back. A strong chest captured her and a long arm wrapped around her waist. She doesn't have to turn to know he caught her, the feel of his body was enough. She'd recognize his chest and arms anywhere. Redness filled her face as he slowly assisted her up.

"Mitsui is too protective because you're too careless" he whispered and the hair in her neck prickled. Yui pushed his arm away and stepped away. When she turned, he was looking in the blank stoic stare she had come to hate. Why can't this guy show any better emotion?

"What are you doing here?" she asked in an annoyed voice. If Rukawa found out Kenji stood her up, Hisashi will probably know as well—and the latter will tease her non-stop. Her cousin was a nice man but he never failed to tease her about the littlest things.

"It already started," he noted and screams came from the stadium. She can slightly hear Brandon Boyd's voice as he greeted the Tokyo crowd.

"I don't feel like watching…" she answered, as if he asked a question. He didn't say anything and instead shook his shoulders. He started to walk toward her and her heart skipped a beat. What was he planning to do? Images of the way he flirted with her in the 2 encounters they had fleeted in her head. _I will beat Fujima in basketball and I will have you in my bed…_She closed her eyes when he was an arm away but it immediately widened when he passed her. She turned to him, slightly disappointed. "Where are you going?"

Rukawa stopped walking and turned, just his head, to her. "Home." He didn't wait for her response and continued to walk away. Yui was taken aback. How can he be so casual after making her flushed all over?

"WAIT!" she called and she internally berated herself for running after him. This was Rukawa Kaede—and she wanted him out of her life! But a part of her wanted him to stay. Rukawa turned around and looked at her. She flushed again and she forgot her reservations when their eyes met. "Do you want to watch the concert with me?" she asked and he looked back in a deadpan face.

"No," he answered, turning away again. Yui felt like she was slapped in the face and she frowned. She had been rejected twice tonight and her ego was totally inflated. She clutched her head and turned away. Rejected by 2 basketball players in one night… What. The. Hell.

Was she really that ugly? Unappealing? She closed her eyes to shake away the dizziness but doing so made it worse. She really should have eaten dinner before going to the concert. She was not used to skipping meals and being acidic, she had to eat at the right time. She clutched her stomach and tried to walk faster. She had to find a restaurant or at least a cab and go home. She carelessly stepped on another crumpled can of soda—the one Rukawa stepped on—and she slipped again. This time, she expected she'll hit the pavement with a sound.

An arm wrapped around her waist again but her knees lacked energy and she slipped down. Rukawa wrapped another arm around her as they sat down on the ground. "Yui…?" he called and her cheeks brightened at the way he said her name. Her stomach grumbled—too loud that it would probably shame Miaka. She looked away and Rukawa chuckled lightly on her ear. "We should get something to eat."

"I'm fine. You should go home." She wanted to die of humiliation. Why do all the shameful things happen to her in front of Rukawa? She was not even attracted to him. Well, she tried to not get attracted to him. Slowly, Rukawa let go of her and stood up. She smiled sadly, he's really the most unromantic man she ever knew. Why did she even… she gasped when he crouched in front of her, offering his back for a piggyback ride.

Rukawa turned toward her and she shook her head. "Scared of me?" he challenged and Yui raised an eyebrow. "You're probably too heavy—"

"I am NOT!" Annoyed, Yui wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her knees, making her completely lean to him. He stood up and started to walk. Yui berated herself for being easily offended. "It's not the way to my house," she noted as they walked without a destination. "We have to turn back—Where are you taking me?"

Rukawa was still speechless and Yui was starting to panic. She was about to scream when he spoke. "Yui is too noisy," he said in a soft voice. Yui sighed and leaned on his shoulder. It was useless to fight, she was weak and clinging to his back. It was weird being this close to him but it was… comfortable. A smile spread on her face. Being this close to the rookie was surprisingly warm.

He turned to an alley and Yui waited as he entered a ramen store. It was one of the street side ramen shops, small and cheap. But it was surprisingly cozy inside. No one was eating anymore and the bar-like table was bare. Rukawa moved the bell and the chef came out. He was surprised when he saw them.

"What a surprise, Kaede-_kun_ brought a girl," he noted and Yui flushed. "She's even on your back. You didn't tell me you have a girlfriend, boy." The ace player grunted as he slowly brought her down. "What's your name?" he asked and Yui smiled wide.

"I'm Hongou Yui, sir. It's nice to meet you." Rukawa pulled her to a stool and she sat down. He sat down beside her and leaned on the table, his hands crossed to cover half of his face. The man laughed, the apron shifting as his belly went up and down. He was a fascinating man, Yui thought.

"What would you have then? My ramen are very good!" She turned toward Rukawa for a suggestion and he just stared back. "Ah, nevermind. I'll just cook the best in the house for you! The best would do for Kaede-_kun_'s girl!" The man laughed again before completely disappearing in the kitchen. Yui can hear him calling a helper and giving instructions. She laughed lightly.

"What's funny?" a cold voice asked and she shook her head, trying to avoid looking at him.

"I've never eaten in a ramen store before…" she noted. "The only ramen I've eaten were the ones my grandmother cooked in Kyoto." She flushed a little when she remembered how he carried her. It never occurred to her that he'll bring her to a place where there's food. Restaurants were usually closed at this time. "You should have gotten something as well."

"I just ate here," he answered and she turned to him.

"Rukawa-_kun_ likes ramen?" she asked and he eyed her sharply.

"I'm older than you." Yui was taken aback. "Don't call me Rukawa-_kun_." Yui smirked. He was such a prideful man. She was just teasing him with the _kun_ affixed and he immediately got offended. She wanted to tease him more but he already exerted too much effort for her tonight.

"Fine. Do you always eat here Rukawa-_sempai_?" she asked and he banged his closed fist on the table. He looked at her with disbelief and leaned down to sneer. "_Nani_?" Yui asked, putting her hands up in surrender.

"Don't call me Rukawa-_sempai_ either." She blinked at him and looked back questioningly. His face was a few inches away from hers and she could smell his perfume. She blinked again—Rukawa wore perfumes? The ace player seemed to have realized he was too close and he immediately backed away. He leaned on the table and cupped his left cheek, looking the other way.

"What am I supposed to call you then?" She sighed, leaning on the table and cupping her right cheek, looking at the other direction. "College men are very quirky and unpredictable."

"Kaede."

Yui turned to him. "What?"

"Just call me Kaede," he stated and she flushed. She looked away and fingered the sole earring Nakago gave her, her heart beating wild. He wanted her to call him by his first name. Oh. My. God. "Do you hear?"

"Hai… Kaede…" she said softly. Her heart hammered hard and her face was burning. The bastketball player placed down a bottle filled with chopsticks in front of her and she turned. The chopsticks were made from fine wood and she looked at it with a quizzical expression.

"Choose what you want to use. You can have your name placed and use the same chopsticks for your next visit," he told her and she nodded. She never thought he can speak in long sentences and the thought made her laugh. "Stop making fun of me." He raised an eyebrow and Yui shook her head.

She leaned on the table and focused her attention of the chopsticks. "I wonder what I'll get…" There were various colors and some even have designs on them. A plain white pair of chopsticks caught her attention and she pulled it from the bottle. It was still wrapped in plastic. "I think I'll get this one."

Kaede pulled open one of the sliding small drawers on the table and handed her a black pen. Yui took it and she wrote her name, very meticulously, at the edge of both chopsticks. She wrote her first name on one chopstick while her last name on the other half. When she was done, she slowly blew into the ink until it dried. The kitchen curtains parted and the chef walked out with a large steaming bowl of ramen. The smell wafted in the air and her stomach grumbled, a sound that satisfied the old man.

"It's done! Enjoy your meal Yui!" The chef placed the big bowl in front of her and her eyes widened at all the ingredients in the ramen. It was overflowing with seafood and flakes and _naruto_.

"I don't think I can finish this—it's too big," she said, earning a loud laugh from the cook.

"Just eat what you can eat!"" he told her and she smiled hesitantly.

"What about you?" She turned toward Kaede and the ace player smiled, a little thin smile, no one would notice if they don't look closely.

"I ate."

Yui sighed and turned her attention on the very large bowl. "Miaka would be envious if I tell her about this," she noted and clapped her hands together. "Itadakimasu!" The cook laughed and she grew conscious as the 2 watched how she took some noodles, rolled it on her chopsticks and ate. She gasped after tasting the ramen. "It's good—it's even better than my grandmother's ramen!"

The chef laughed loud again. "It's my best ramen, you know! Kaede-_kun_'s girlfriend has good taste in food!" Yui flushed again but she was too hungry to correct the man. Instead she focused on eating the ramen while Kaede was busy watching her choose what ingredient to eat first. "What will you have boy?"

"Dark chocolate _mochi_," he noted and the man nodded.

"Here you go!" He placed a small platter of dark chocolate truffles and poured them 2 glasses of water. "I'll leave for awhile!" The man disappeared again as they ate. No words were said between them and Kaede simply watched her. After a little over 30 minutes, Yui placed her chopsticks down and sighed.

"I can't eat anymore…" She touched her stomach and burped. She covered her mouth, face flushed. She never burped in front of anyone before. She turned toward Kaede and he blinked at her. "Excuse me…" A smirk made its way across his face and he placed the platter of dark chocolate in front of her. He had left 2 small truffles and she wondered how he managed to eat the other 3 in such a long time.

"It will wash away the taste," he told her and she nodded. To her surprise, he took the bowl, which was still halfway full, and placed it in front of him.

"What are you doing?"

"It's bad to waste food," he answered. He slid a wooden panel on the table and took out his chopsticks, almost the same as hers, only it was black. Yui watched surprised as he started to eat what was left of her meal. "This is better than what I had earlier…" he whispered and Yui's heart beating madly. How can he eat something she ate? It was… intimate… Kaede finished eating in around 15 minutes and she blinked when he turned. She had literally watched him eat! "You didn't eat the_ mochi_."

"I'm sorry… I—" She placed the platter between them. "Let's finish this one, Kaede." He nodded and they both ate the remaining chocolate on the platter. "Hmmm…the chocolate melts in my mouth… I'll get this one next time…" Kaede was already drinking water when she opened her eyes. "Thank you for the food, it was better than attending the concert."

The old man walked out and nodded when he saw the finished platter. "Ah, you enjoyed the food. Don't forget to come back!" Yui nodded an pulled out her wallet. "Ah, no need to pay. It's already been settled!" The man laughed again and Yui nodded hesitantly.

Kaede stood up and she stood up to bow down before the chef. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner, sir! I'll certainly come back!"

"Oh, you even got the pair chopsticks I bought from Hokkaido!" the man noted as he held up the chopsticks they both used. Yui looked at the man with a curious expression. "I usually buy my chopsticks by pairs and lovers who come here always end up getting the pairs. Good luck on your relationship, Yui-_san_!"

"I'll wait outside," Kaede butted in before stepping out of the restaurant.

"Kaede-kun doesn't talk much but he's really expressive," the man told her. "He loves eating here but today is the first time he brought someone along." The man laughed again. "Eight years ago, I told him that he should bring a girl he likes here and I'll feed you for free with my best ramen."

"Eight years ago?"

The chef laughed. "_Hai_, _hai_! He was still in grade school then. And he was very small. He agreed to bring a girlfriend along, though it took him such a long time—"

Heaviness filled the room and the man stopped speaking. Yui slowly turned around and Kaede stepped in. "We're leaving." He clutched her hand and pulled her outside. She can walk better now but she was having a hard time pacing with him.

"Hey, slow down!" Kaede stopped pulling her and turned. Screams filled the air and she could hear Brandon Boyd singing the final song for their concert. His hand tightened on hers and she felt warm.

_**My heart still has a beat…**__**But love is now a feat…**_

"It's late," he told her. Kaede had this habit of saying one thing but implying another. She was learning to understand him more and more even though they had hang out for barely 2 hours. "Go home…"

She nodded but he did not let go of her hand. Yui rummaged through her head for something to say, looking for a reason to stay longer beside him. It was not because she likes him… Okay, she likes him. But she doesn't know what's supposed to happen after a date. Date. She was on a date with Rukawa Kaede. Her heart was hammering hard at the thought. She went out on a real date—and she didn't even notice!

_**Sometimes when I'm alone I wonder… Is there a spell that I am under…**_

"Don't tell Hisashi that Kenji stood me up," she blurted out and Kaede raised an eyebrow. She covered her mouth; she did not mean to tell him _that._

"Kenji… Fujima?" he asked, his face darkened at the mention of the captain's name. Screams filled the air again. Yui can imagine Brandon Boyd singing with all his heart, in eyes closed, as if singing for them.

_**Keeping me from seeing the real thing…**_

Kaede stared at something behind her and she turned to look at what caught his attention. He pulled her shoulder to stop her from turning but he was too late, she had already seen what she was not supposed to see. A few miles from them, Kenji was walking from the stadium, hands inside his pockets. Beside him was a tall dark-haired woman, his former girlfriend.

Kenji stopped walking and turned toward the woman. Yui's eyes widened when the woman stepped toward him, wrapped her arms around the ace captain's neck and kissed him. Yui immediately turned away, shocked at what she saw. Kenji begged off from their date to be with this woman. He could have just told her upfront and she would understand. Kenji doesn't have to lie…

"Yui…" Kaede called her but she moved away from him.

_**Love hurts… but sometimes it's a good hurt…**__**And it feels like I'm alive…**_

She walked away, looking down, feeling rejected. All that she wanted was to go home and sleep. Kaede paced beside her and took her hand. It was cold and it did not make her feel better.

"I'll walk you home," he whispered and she nodded. When she looked up, he smiled. "I won't tell Mitsui we went out tonight." He was trying to console her, she could tell, and the absurdity of the situation made her laugh. Tears beaded her eyes but she was fine, she was good, she was happy.

"_Arigatou_…" she choked and frowned and eventually cried, in his arms, on his chest. She was not sad. She was just… disappointed. As her emotions swept her away, the only thing she could hear was Brandon Boyd's sexy voice in a concert she did not watch.

_**Love sings… When it transcends the bad things…**_ _**Have a heart and try me… 'Cause without love I won't survive…**_

_**

* * *

A/N: **__Kaede's words in the previous chapter scared Yui—heck, it scared me as well! But I hope his sweetness here makes up for that… ^_^ I realized that this is Yui's first real date so I feel all giggly. Haha. Any suggestions for a romantic but nonconventional Yui-Kaede date?_


	4. PreSpring

_Wow, this fic is getting so many reviews. Haha. Thanks for taking time to read and review this. It really really makes me happy. There won't be any spectacular scenes here, though. Sorry! Will make up in the next chapters! Btw, I want to know if you want a love scene between Yui and Kaede! (Got to know that this early!)_

_**LeeRaRa: **__Cute suggestions! I'll plot down which chapter I can add the movie marathon and the bento thing. Mitsui probably needs to be around for some laughs. Haha._

_**ThePinkMartini: **__The chopsticks thing was a spur of the moment—glad you liked it! I wanted to highlight it but couldn't think of a proper setting. Haha._

_**Season's Call:**__ I love Fujima as well! This fic is primarily in Yui's perspective so… things are not just what they seem! I miss Mitsui in the previous chappie so he'll be here. Your review is so funny, it made me laugh. Yeah, Rukawa's not supposed to react much and I had a hard time writing his lines… kept on changing it._

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Yeah, they were pretty intimate. I want to make sure there's indeed chemistry between them and I figured I wouldn't know unless I do a Yui-Kaede chapter, which I enjoyed writing, btw. :D_

_**Harukaheryl:**__ Great to hear you like the concept of this fic! Yeah, Rukawa's such a meanie for saying that. I'm thinking of having him say it again in a sexy scene. Haha._

_**Disclaimer:**__ FY and SD are not mine._

**

* * *

Pre-Spring**

By Slavedriver2008

* * *

Yui sat cross-legged on the sofa and was busy typing a message on her mobile phone. She was too into the message that she momentarily forgot being beside 1 of the worst person she needed to be beside with when she needed to concentrate. Hisashi leaned toward her and she looked at the older guy with a murderous look.

"Hey, I'm not reading your message, ne!" he said defensively and Yui pushed him away.

"Yes you are." She made a face and hit him with a throw pillow. "Why are you in my apartment again?" she asked for the hundredth time and the shooting guard leaned back on the sofa.

"Why? Can't I visit my beloved cousin?" he teased and she hit him again with the pillow, earning laughter from the man she grew up with.

"Beloved my butt. Why are you here?" she asked again. Hisashi would not stay in her place if there's nothing for him. When she was young, he would only stay to play and beat her in video games. Her parents were fine with that, as long as she has company. She somehow missed those times but they were too old to play video games and her console had long been thrown away.

"Seriously Yui-_chan_, I just came to visit you. I want to spend time with my favorite cousin," he said and then laughed sheepishly.

"I'm your only cousin, _ne_." Her phone made a sound and she immediately slid it open. Hisashi eyed the screen and she sneered at him. "Hi-chan! Give me privacy PLEASE!" The captain frowned and shook his shoulders.

"I'm not doing anything! Hmp. I'm going to the kitchen," he placed his hands inside his pockets and walked grudgingly toward the kitchen. He turned to her one last time and she rolled her eyes to turn her attention back on the message.

_Can't believe he stood you up. What happened? Did Kyouko know you asked her brother out?_

It was Miaka and she sighed as she composed a reply for her. She went through what happened in her head again but it made her gloomier. Kenji stood her up—for another woman. Well, she was not just another woman but his former girlfriend. His girlfriend was everything she was not. She has smooth porcelain skin, dark ebony hair, and was too trendy to be considered a wallflower. She wasn't very pretty but she carries skimpy dresses well. If only she has those legs and that confidence.

_No, didn't tell Kyouko—unless Kenji did. Didn't watch the concert, was with…_

Yui gasped and she flushed. She was with Rukawa Kaede that night. It was not just a chance encounter, they were together for almost three hours. He even consoled her when she cried. She covered her face with the pillow when she remembered crying in his arms. It was humiliating. Why does Kaede have to see her in her most unflattering state? She placed the phone down and slapped her cheeks lightly, in an effort to dispel the heat. She sighed and covered her face. She was literally in his arms that night—and she can't say she didn't like it.

The phone made a sound again and she looked at it, surprised. It was Miaka again. _Who were you with? Tell me!_ Yui flushed again, she had not realized she sent the last message out. She crouched on the couch and smiled in a restrained manner. She was feeling all giggly and light and warm and…

Hisashi cleared his throat and she straightened, silently berating herself for acting like a teenager who had her first date. She flushed harder—she was a teenager and Kaede was… She shook her head violently and Hisashi leaned close to look at her blushing face. She screamed and covered her face with the pillow. No, Hisashi can't know about them.

"What did I miss here?" he asked, sipping cold milk with a straw.

"NOTHING!" she screamed and sank back on the seat. "Who said you can drink my milk?" Hisashi sipped hard and the straw made a sound, indicating the emptiness of the carton. "I can't believe you stole from my refrigerator without telling me!"

"Easy, okay? We're blood relatives—Do I even have to ask food from you?" He slumped on the couch beside her and she hid her phone from view. "So… how was the concert?"

Yui looked away and turned on the television. She rehearsed what to tell him if ever he asked but was finding the words hard to say. It didn't help that that night made her confused. She was very disappointed when Kenji stood her up but she was happy being with Kaede. She wanted to go out with Fujima but it was Rukawa she ended up dating. Hisashi made a sound, waiting for her response, and she turned to him, face in heat.

"It was awesome. Brandon Boyd was soooo hot!" she feigned happiness and focused on switching channels.

"Who did you take?" he asked and she sat still. She hit the remote to change the channel faster. She was tensed and Hisashi knew that. Damn, he knew her too much. He took the remote and she struggled to get it back.

"Hey—"

"Are you seeing Rukawa?" he asked and her eyes widened. How did he…? "Kouji said a tall dark-haired guy walked you home last night," Hisashi explained and Yui cursed in her head. Kouji was her neighbor who Hisashi was close to. The two always played basketball in middle school. "To be specific, he said Rukawa Kaede walked you home. I told you he's popular."

"It's not—" She sighed and sat back on the couch. "Yeah, I was with him last night." She embraced the pillow and looked at the channel he chose. A music video was playing, from a Japanese rock band. Hisashi didn't say anything and she kept quiet. She hated discussing topics she was not ready to divulge.

"I didn't know that kiddo has the hots for you—"

"He doesn't like me!" she cut Hisashi's statement and looked away. "We just crossed paths and that's it. He walked me home because it was late and he said: _The captain will make me do lapses if he finds out I left you alone_." Yui frowned, when Kaede told her so last night, she was disappointed again. But when he smiled thinly, all her hesitation melted away and she flushed in return.

"Well, he's right about that. But he doesn't have to hold your hand while walking you home." Yui gasped and hit the older man. Hisashi seemed unfazed and continued to watch the video, yawning. "And… it's unlike Rukawa to care, Yui-_chan_. Sleep and basketball are the only things that matter to him."

"Maybe not."

"Maybe yes," Hisashi hit back. Yui frowned. It was unlike Hisashi to know what to say to shut her up. "But this is an interesting development, though I'm not sure if I should like it or not." The captain rubbed his chin and nodded.

"I don't get what you mean. I told you, we are not dating, we'll never date, ever!" Hisashi turned to her and their eyes met. She looked back with a smug reaction and he shook his head.

"You're all red, you know. And we're just talking about him," he teased, leaning on the backseat and rubbing his chin. "I didn't notice that before, though."

"Hi-chan—"

"Fine. Fine. You're not dating. To be honest, I like that punk better than Fujima," he noted and Yui raised an eyebrow. "But then… Fujima's an ideal guy, good grades, good records…" Yui smiled wide. Yes, Kenji was a straight-A student. "On the other hand, Rukawa's kinda stupid and lazy and doesn't do much but sleep," Hisashi noted, counting Kaede's bad habits with his fingers, it made Yui frown. "He gets very bad grades, the team has to always force him to study—"

"Yeah, yeah. I got what you mean. But there's really nothing between us so I don't care." She slumped back on the sofa and glanced at her phone. She had been debating with herself whether to send him a message or not. To begin with, she doesn't have his number. "Hey, do you have…" Hisashi turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She flushed immediately as she spoke. "Do you have Kaede's number?"

Hisashi laughed sheepishly and she hit him with the pillow. "_Kaede_, huh?" She flushed harder and he pulled her ear, pulling her face near his. "There's something different when you say his name—"

"WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING?" She shook her head but he clung to her ear. "HISASHI —"

"Your voice gets all tender and girly and you blush—"

"I TOLD YOU THERE'S NOTHING!" She screamed defensively and he sniggered. Her brows creased and she slapped his hand away from her now hurting ear. "Stop teasing me to a stone! Are you giving me his number or not?"

Hisashi pinched her ear and she yelped. "Fine, I'll give you his number but—"

"But?" she asked as she rubbed the swollen flesh. Hisashi has this habit of pinching any part of her face when they were kids, especially when he wants to know if she's lying or not. Her ears were his favorite, says it look cute. As if it were different from his.

Hisashi cleared his throat and looked uneasy. "In exchange for…" he cleared his throat again and she raised an eyebrow. Hisashi always brings out all her reactions—both good and bad. "…Kyouko's number…"

* * *

"And you say you hate Fujima—HA!" she teased as they walk toward the nearby park. Hisashi had asked her earlier for her friend's number in exchange for Kaede's and she had been teasing him since they left the house. It was unlike Hisashi to admit liking a girl. He was famous as the guy who dates for the sake of dating.

"I did not say I like her," Hisashi pointed out as he put on his skates. "I just asked for her number. In case you didn't know, the number was for Sendoh—" She turned to him with a surprised look and he laughed. "Don't tell me you like Sendoh as well?" He poked her on the forehead. "You can't have 3 boys, you know. That's against the rule of love."

"Rule of love?" She snorted as she tied her skates. "Where did that number come from?"

"Fujima Kenji," he counted with his fingers. She immediately blushed at the name. "Sendoh Akita, Rukawa Kaede—You can't toy around with 3 boys, got it?" She gasped and hit him on the shoulders.

"I'm not—I'm not toying with any of the 3. I'm not even seeing any of them!" She stood up and did some warm-ups on the side of the park. They own the skating rink today. People seldom visit the skating rink before the snow melted.

But Hisashi and her, they were crazy. They love skating on unstable ice, the type that was almost watery at the surface. It was bad for the skates but it was good for some few laughs. They always skate before the snow melts, in the same park. When she teased him about Kyouko, he immediately reasoned out that he visited her to skate. Of course she knew better, but doing feet warm-ups with him still made her happy. Miaka hated skating on watery ice. It was only Hisashi who accompanied her. It was only him who understood such simple crazy pleasures for an athlete.

"You still compete?" he asked as he started to glide on the surface.

"I will, this year," she answered. Her phone made a sound and she took it from her pocket. "You can go ahead, I'll just answer this."

Hisashi sniggered. "Is it from Kaede-_kun_?" he teased and she made a face. "Rukawa's okay with me but as I said, he has to beat me in basketball first." He glided away before Yui could react and she focused her attention on the message.

_Who're you?_

It was Kaede and she immediately answered him. _It's me, Yui. Are you free? Let's skate together before the ice melts. My treat for last night._She sent it out and briefly regretted being too forward. She composed another message. _Hey, am not being pushy. But I'd be happy if you can come._She added the address and sent it out. She frowned again. Now, she actually sounded pushy. Her hands tightened on the phone and she frowned as she read his response.

_Don't want to. Can't skate._

She gasped. He had turned her down again. Shame filled her and she angrily responded to him. _Suit yourself. Bet the couch will miss you, bum._She placed the phone inside her pocket and annoyingly skated toward Hisashi. She gained speed and in annoyance did a layback spin. Skating always makes her forget all negative emotions, that's why she could not give up the sport.

"Ooohhh… someone's angry. Did that punk dump you?" Hisashi teased and she glazed the blades through the ice, throwing ice crystals at him. It failed, the ice was no longer as hard as it used to be, and the deed made Hisashi laugh hard.

"YUI!" A familiar voice screamed and she smirked. They both turned toward the edge of the rink and Hisashi's eyes widened when Kyouko appeared, waving at them.

"I invited her, thought you'd get to snoop more info for Sendoh-san," she smiled innocently but it quickly faded when another figure caught his attention. Kenji waved at her, smiling.

"If I knew better…" Hisashi mumbled. "You invited her to see Fujima. Too liberated, Yui. Ideal Japanese girls don't force themselves to a guy." Yui slapped his shoulder and he raised an eyebrow.

"I did not invite him," she said sternly and immediately skated toward the newcomers. Yui doesn't know what to say to him. She was still slightly angry for what happened last night. Instead of speaking, she simply smiled thinly at his direction.

"_Onii-san_ insisted to come," Kyouko said, rolling her eyes. "I see you're with Mitsui-_san_." Mitsui appeared behind Yui and he waved, unsure whether to smile or not. "Would you teach me how to skate?" Yui nodded and Kyouko laughed. "Not you, silly. I asked Mitsui-_san_. You'll keep an eye on my annoying brother." She skated away and pulled Hisashi toward the center of the rink.

"Okay—WHAT?" Her eyes widened as she watched the 2 laughed shyly. They were all red and the blonde blinked repeatedly.

"I skate," Kenji spoke and Yui turned, flushing when she realized what Kyouko told her. Brother. Keep an eye. Fujima Kenji. She screamed in her head and was slightly surprised when Kenji skated in front of her. "I've never skated in soft ice before. You and Mitsui have some quirky habits."

Yui smiled and nodded, looking down. "Yeah, we're kinda weird." Silence fell between them and she doesn't know what to say. Should she bring up what happened last night? Should she even care?

"I'm sorry I stood you up last night," he started and she looked up, surprised. "I really want to go with you but…" he smiled and she shook her head.

"It's okay…" She turned around and started to glide on the ice. Kenji skated beside her and her heart beat wild.

"No, it's not." Yui looked at the ice and on their feet. "Someone wanted to meet because of an emergency. As it turned out, it's really not an emergency." A smile spread on her face and she moved faster, passing him. She turned around and prepared for a jump. She was so nervous talking to him that she needed to do something—anything—to release the tension.

She pushed herself up and did a double flip and a double loop. When she landed, he was smiling wide. She blushed again and moved farther from him. Cold air brushed through her face and it somehow froze the warmth on her face. Kenji paced beside her and she looked away.

"I've never seen a jump combination that close before," he said softly. "You were very graceful… and very confident too." Yui laughed and shook her head.

"It was just doubles. You should watch me do a triple," she said out loud and regretted doing so. Kenji laughed and she nervously turned to him. "No, I mean, not here. I don't do triples in public rinks. I only do triples in competition or I—"

"Yui-san is asking me out again," he said and she flushed. She was not implying anything! "It made me happy. I'll gladly watch you compete but would you watch our games?" Yui raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Kenji's expression became serious. "May I ask why?"

"No… I had a bad memory of watching a basketball game." She sighed and looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"A ball hit you?" he asked and she laughed.

"No…it's worst than that…"

"I don't know what's worst than being hit with a ball." He smiled. "No wonder I never saw you in any of Mitsui's games. But I'd be happy if you can watch me sometimes."

"Hoy Kenji!" Kyouko called and they both rushed toward them. She giggled when they came close. "Are you two flirting or something?" she asked and Yui flushed.

"I should ask the same to you," Kenji said back and the younger girl went red. Mitsui frowned and flailed wildly.

"Whatever! Mother called. She sent me a list of things to buy—I can't believe she asked us to do the groceries! And I still can't glide, I keep on slipping!" She frowned and Kenji smiled. He was really a warm guy.

"We'll just skate again some time. Thank you for teaching my sister," Kenji bowed before Mitsui but Yui did not miss the tension between them. "I'll see you in court Mitsui, try not to get beaten by Maki." Mitsui nodded and the 2 left, leaving them. Kyouko turned and waved, still blushing.

"We should go home too," Hisashi said and Yui shook her head. Mitsui's brows creased and he leaned to look at her face.

"I want to stay longer."

"Don't fall for Fujima, huh." Yui's eyes widened and she looked back with disbelief. "I said I like Rukawa but I still don't like Fujima for you. You know my condition before getting a boyfriend—"

"Fujima always beats you in basketball," she pointed out and he made a sound.

"FINE! If he beats me this season, he can be your boyfriend." Mitsui smirked. "We have the best team this year so it will be hard for him to win. If he loses the MVP title, say goodbye to all your fantasies."

"You are so annoying, Hi-_chan_." Hisashi crumpled her hair and laughed. He was treating her like a younger brother again.

"I'm just protecting you from a possible heartbreak. Anyway, I'm getting cold. Do you want any hot drinks? I saw a convenience store nearby," he said and she nodded.

"I'll follow. I just want to skate some more… You don't get ice this soft every day," she said and Mitsui laughed. They exchanged a few banters and he left her to get something to drink.

When he was gone, she glided back on ice and prepared for a jump. At the right moment, she swished her legs up and completed a triple axel. Her heart was hammering hard, it was the first time she did an axel in an open area and it was somehow liberating. Her coach always tells her to hide her triples when she skates outside. A shadow caught her attention and she stopped immediately, turning toward a man standing beside a tree. He walked forward and she gasped when the image of Rukawa Kaede came into view. He stopped on the snow in front of her and she was too surprised to know what to say.

"I came," he said in a monotonous voice.

"You're late," she replied softly, heart hammering hard.

"You were busy," he pointed out and she smiled, looking down.

"So… how was your couch?" she teased, feeling warm. He stepped into the ice and walked toward her. He smiled thinly when he was an arm's away. Her breath caught.

"I was in bed."

"You should rent skates before they close," she whispered in an effort to change the topic, not taking her eyes off him. She could not—for the life of her—imagine Kaede on his bed. She was flushing like mad and her face burned.

"On you?" he asked and Yui laughed, nodding. She was suddenly feeling giggly again.

"Yeah, it's on me," she breathed out. She flushed when she realized that Hi-_chan_ was right—her voice softens when she talks about him, when she talks to him. He stepped closer and leaned down, his face inches away, eyes intense.

"Yui…" he whispered and Yui's heart was beating wildly on her throat. She was briefly worried he'll hear so she swallowed hard, not breaking his gaze. "Let's date."

_**

* * *

A/N:**__ I told you, there won't be any spectacular scenes here. Sorry for disappointing you all! I hope you'll like the next chapter. :D_


	5. Practice

_Yes, another chapter and I've included the bento suggestion by __**LeeRaRa**__ and the basketball game by __**Season's Call**__! Please enjoy reading and please do drop a review. Arigatou gozaimasu! I'm sorry for the delay, couldn't find the time to upload this. :(_

_**Season's Call:**__ I'll try to update fast, the previous two weeks was literally hell for me. Had to move out of my hotel into a more suitable apartment. :D_

_**LeeRaRa: **__Yeah, he just did! :D_

_**ThePinkMartini:**__ Haha. Thanks! Hmmm... You're the only one who requested a love scene, though. Heehee. I think lime would do for the mean time._

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Sendoh-Yui chapter... Hmmm... I wanted to make one... but probably not in the next 2 chapters. Haha. Sendoh fan? ;p_

_**Disclaimer:**__ FY and SD are not mine._

**

* * *

Practice**

By Slavedriver2008

* * *

Yui heaved a sigh and checked her watch. College students passed by and she leaned to the wall of the university. Miaka was late and if she doesn't arrive in the next 10 minutes, she's going to call Hisashi. Of course she doesn't want that, she was dropping by unannounced. She even braved the horrific Tokyo subway to get to Keio. Miaka enrolled in the university while she stayed in Bunkyo for Todai. Since they were just college freshies and subject requirements were light, Miaka went home everyday. They agreed to meet today—and she brought a bentou.

"Yui!" Miaka called and she smiled wide. Finally, she arrived. Miaka ran toward her, waving. "I'm so sorry, I got a little lost. It's my first week so I'm still getting familiar with the gates."

"It's fine," she replied, laughing lightly. "Do we go to the basketball gym now?" When she found out Miaka will be going to Keio, she immediately thought of Hisashi and the basketball team. She was slightly envious because the brunette will be studying in the same university. A part of her wanted to go to Keio but she never took the exams.

"Let's see, I can't remember how to go there but it's at the left side of the university," she said and Yui frowned. Keio was a big university and Miaka usually gets lost. She briefly wondered how long they needed to walk before finding the gym.

"It's fine, as long as they're still practicing when we arrive."

As they walked toward the gym, the two chatted about their first week in college. Yui never told the brunette anything on her romance life and she tried her best to appear fine. The truth was that being in Keio troubled her. Seeing Hisashi meant seeing Kaede and the thought was enough to make her nervous. Her hands tightened on the _bentou_, the one she made for Hisashi. She told Miaka she's bringing her cousin snacks to eat after practice. She didn't know what's gotten into her or was it for Hisashi to begin with.

After more than 20 minutes, Yui turned to her friend. "Miaka, do you know where we're going?"

Miaka scratched her head and looked around. "The guy I came across earlier said the gym will be around here somewhere. The entrance is supposed to be…"

The sound of roaring and cheering fleeted in the air and they both turned, finding, almost serendipitously, the basketball gym. Yui's heart palpitated and she suddenly wanted to turn back and go home. Cheering emanated from the inside and it made her uncomfortable. Numerous girls were cheering for Kaede and it made her skin crawl. Miaka pulled her hand, knowing her hesitation but said nothing. After all, it had been a long time. She should have forgotten about it.

The gym was packed and she wondered if it was indeed only a practice match. Miaka turned to the bleachers, looking for a seat. Half of the gym was filled with cheering girls with pompoms. _Ru-ka-wa, Ru-ka-wa, L-O-V-E Ru-ka-wa_. Yui frowned, she never thought Kaede was this popular. And to be fighting with all these girls for his attention… Yui blinked. Why the hell would she compete with them? She was not into Kaede!

The sound of running feet sped toward her and she turned to the court. A ball zoomed and was about to hit her on the face when a hand swatted it in another direction. When the ball disappeared, Kaede's face greeted her view and she stepped back; they were going to collide because of the speed. The thought of their initial meeting, when she ended up underneath him fleeted in her thoughts and she blushed.

Instead of colliding, he stepped to the side and his hands landed on the wall, trapping her inside his arms. Yui's heart was beating wildly on her throat and she clutched the _bentou_ closer. Kaede was heaving and sweat covered every part of his face. Their eyes met and the world seemed to have slowed down. She can hear Hisashi calling them, the rest of the team running closer. Nothing mattered but his eyes. Lonely dark eyes.

"_Let's date."_

"_No! We—We can't do that!"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because—because you're Hisashi's teammate! And—Oh my god—You're—I like Fujima!"_

She dumped him. That was exactly a month ago, and she couldn't sleep since then. She regretted turning him down and if she could bring back that moment, bring back the snow and the soft ice, she wouldn't have said 'No.' Guilt crept through her system and she looked down to hide her face in shame. Slowly, he moved away, still heaving from running half the court to stop the ball.

"Yui!" Hisashi called and she turned to him. "Are you alright?" He was heaving as well and she nodded, feigning a smile. "What are you doing here? It's a good thing Rukawa saved you from the ball or you're bound to be in the clinic." She turned toward the taller dark-haired player. Now was the perfect time to talk to him.

"_Ariga_—" He turned away and walked toward the ball, ignoring her.

"Go to the bench," Hisashi ordered and Miaka smiled wide. "It's nice to see you today, Miaka. Would you bring my careless cousin to the team's bench while we practice?" Miaka nodded and before Yui could react, the brunette pulled her, crossing the court to the benches.

"Oy, it's Yui-_san_!" She turned and a familiar bald redhead greeted her.

"Hanamichi-_kun_," she said, smiling, and the redhead scratched his head. "I didn't know you go to Keio." She knew Sakuragi because Hisashi introduced them once. Said he's one of the reasons he returned to basketball. The redhead sometimes watched her practice and she had once given him a tip on how to ask a girl out.

The redhead laughed. "Well, this team needs a genius, so Sakuragi Hanamichi needs—" A ball hit him on the side of the head and Yui's eyes widened. They both turned to the court and Kaede moved his wrists. "Rukawa _baka_—you!"

"It slipped," he said in his usual mocking monotonous tone. "We're starting, _ahou daou_." The redhead angrily stepped into the court and pulled Kaede's shirt. The cheering girls booed Sakuragi and the latter angrily pushed the other away. Kaede stood still, patting his shirt as if there were dirtied. He briefly glanced at her direction before completely turning away.

"Don't worry about them, those two always fight but when they play, no one would think they're rivals," a woman told her and she nodded. She was momentarily worried Kaede will end up in a fight. Kaede again? She wanted to hit herself. Why does he always have to be in her thoughts? "So you're the captain's cousin, I saw you once Yui-_san_. I'm Chihiyo."

"Hi, this is my friend Miaka." The 2 brunette greeted each other and they all sat on the bench. "I didn't know Kaede can be intense in the court." The game started and the power-forward had been actively making shots. The girls cheered for him. "And so many fans…"

"Kaede? Oh, you mean Rukawa. He's always been very passionate for basketball. I think those are the same fans when he was still in Shohoku. Among all the players, he has the most number of female fans, though I think it annoys him a bit." Yui smiled when he got another basket. "Are you dating?"

Yui blinked and turned toward the girl. "Huh?"

"You and Rukawa. Are you dating?" She flushed and sadly shook her head. "Ah, that's a shame. When he carelessly ran after that ball and I found out you're related to Hisashi, I thought something's up. You look good together by the way. I bet his fans would love to occupy your position back there."

"Yui's crushing on Fujima Kenji so I think she'll never notice Rukawa," Miaka butted in and the manager's eyes widened.

"Miaka—"

"Oh my, well I can't blame you. Everyone likes Fujima. But I don't think he and Mitsui goes along well," Chihiyo said as she leaned back on the bench. The players zoomed past them and she crossed eyes with Kaede. She felt warm all over. "So where do you go to, Yui?"

"Todai," she replied. Kaede scored again and she smiled. She was really good in basketball, it's a wonder how she managed to score in their one-on-one.

"Maki territory."

"Maki territory?" Yui asked and Miaka squealed beside her. She was busy watching the game—and was rivaling the fangirls. Chihiyo laughed.

"Todai's captain was one of the best point guards in Kanagawa. During his time, Kainan became the second best team in the nationals. It's because Shohoku beat the reigning champion in the disqualification round. You didn't watch?" She explained and Yui shook her head. "This season is going to be really exciting. They say it's going to be a battle between the captains."

"Battle between the captains?" Yui asked. Now she was intrigued.

"People are betting that the finals will be a grueling match between Todai's Maki, Waseda's Fujima, and of course, Keio's Mitsui. They're all captains—and they're all point guards." Yui nodded and she turned her attention on the game. Sendoh scored another shot and the non-fan girls cheered. "I think we have the advantage, Sendoh's with us and so are Rukawa and Sakuragi, Kanagawa's golden pair."

"I see. Hisashi's up for a very exciting season." The game continued, it was a match between the seniors and the juniors. Sendoh led the juniors while Hisashi led the seniors. Even though Sendoh was teamed 2 other starting members, they were having a hard time scoring points. Hisashi was making a good way of utilizing his non-regular members. Even Kaede looked like he was being pushed to the limit. Every now and then, he would glance at their direction and she would flush and look away. She clutched her _bentou_ tighter. He'll be hungry after the game but would he eat the food she made? He was obviously angry and she doesn't want another rejection. Then again, he had always rejected her, didn't he?

A few minutes before the games ended, Yui stood up and excused herself. She was too tensed she needed to wash her face in the bathroom. She left the _bentou_ on the bench and after Chihiyo gave her instructions, she walked out of the gym towards the female bathroom.

"At least give it to him, Yui," she told herself. She traveled all the way from Bunkyo just to give him a _bentou_. It would have been easy if he did not treat her coldly. Well, it was her fault. She dumped him and if she were more careful with her words, he would not be looking at her with the aloof point blank stare. She hated that, hated the uncaring way he stared at her today. She preferred the thin smile, the smirk, the dancing dark eyes. She sighed and the door of the bathroom banged open, 3 fangirls walked in, pompoms swaying like little yellow furballs.

"I knew you'd be here," the apparent leader told her and her brows creased. "You're getting all pretty for Rukawa-_kun_ later."

"Excuse me?" she asked and the girl pushed her. She hit the counter and her hip throbbed.

"But it'll be useless because he's not gonna see you later," the girl said. Before she could react, the 2 other girls held her arms, nails digging mercilessly on her skin. They pulled her hair before pushing her toward the broom closet, closing the door and engulfing her in the darkness. She hit the aluminum wall and paint cans rained on her, hitting every part of her body. Some opened and spilled, bringing a pungent smell inside the closet. She screamed but it drowned in the mocking laughter from the girls outside.

"Let me out!" She pushed the door open but it didn't bulge. Pain shot through her head and she touched it, only to find it damp. Her head started to spin and the smell made her stomach tightened. Laughter answered her calls. "Miaka! Hisashi! Kaede—" The girls kicked the door and some cans rained on her again. She embraced herself and tried to pacify the panic that was budding inside her. It was happening again and for the first time in years, she was scared of the dark and the small space.

"Where's Yui?" Hisashi asked, looking around. He was busy wiping his sweat-streaked face with the towel. The game ended and they won by a mere 1 point. He intended to brag but was surprised when he found her seat bare.

"She went to the bathroom a few minutes ago. Now that you mentioned it, she's been gone for more than 10 minutes," Chihiyo told him and he raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong captain?"

"I'm worried. She usually doesn't take long." He stood up and threw the towel on the bench. "I have a bad feeling about this. I'll look for her."

"Captain?"

"Are you coming with me?" he asked Rukawa, who was sitting on the bench, drinking water. The younger man looked away, feigning hearing what the captain said. "Suit yourself." Hisashi jogged away, evading the crowd who gathered to watch them play and congratulated him after they won.

"Hey, why's Mitsui in a hurry? Where's Yui?" Sakuragi asked and Sendoh turned to him. The 2 players sat down on the bench beside Rukawa and the latter remained quiet.

Miaka gasped and 4 sets of eyes turned toward her. "Oh no, now that Hisashi's mentioned it… It's my fault—I shouldn't have left her alone!"

"What's happening?" Chihiyo asked and Miaka looked troubled.

"Well… I'll tell you but promise not to tell anyone." The 3 nodded and Miaka sighed. "When we were 12, Yui and I went to watch one of Hisashi's games. It was the first time her mother allowed us to go and she was very excited—she even made _bentou_ for him." She frowned. "A few minutes before the game ended, some of Mitsui's fan girls, who thought she was his girlfriend, locked her up and it was already midnight when we found her. She fainted and was in the hospital for days. It was horrible."

"And she never watched a basketball game again?" Chihiyo asked and Miaka nodded. "Now I understand why the captain asked her to sit on the players' bench." Rukawa stood up and threw his towel on the bench. "Where are you going Rukawa?"

"Bathroom," he responded coldly before walking away.

Everything was starting to fade. The smell of paint made the throbbing worse and Yui groaned from the pain. Her hair and clothes were sticky with the liquid and the side of her head stung. She coughed and pushed the cans away, slowly moving toward the door. She knocked, asking for help.

"Let me out," she called but it came out as a whisper. Tears fell from her eyes and she cried. "Miaka! Hisashi! Kaede!" She leaned back on the wall. "Kaede, save me…" The trauma she felt when she was 12 returned to her and she felt cold all over. If the images continue to drill on her consciousness, she will faint. She doesn't want that, she wanted to be saved, to get out alive and well. She wanted to be strong.

"Yui—are you there?" Hisashi called and she wanted to respond to him, but her voice was sparse. "Damn it, get out of the way!"

"You can't come inside the girl's bathroom, even if you're the captain of the basketball team!" The girls squealed and Yui closed her eyes, wishing her strength would come back. But she was still feeling lifeless and weak.

"Yeah! You can't come in!" The girls squealed again, this time, out of delight. "Rukawan-_kun_!"

"Move out," he demanded. She could hear his voice very faintly and the girls screamed from happiness.

"Rukawa-_kun_ talked to me!" Yui covered her ears, the voices were drilling additional pain in her temple. "No—No! You can't go inside the girl's bathroom." A smile spread on her face and she imagined him walking between the girls to look for her. Kaede was going to save her. Kaede will find her. Kaede… Kaede will talk to her again.

"Yui are you here?" Hisashi called, knocking on the cubicles. Stupid, Yui said in her head. I'm here, Hi-_chan_, she screamed in her head.

"She's not here! Get out of the bathroom! We'll report you to the dean!" The girls squealed again in the same time she called Hi-_chan_, drowning her feeble voice. It was useless, they'll never find her. She'll lose consciousness. She'll faint. And she'll get all traumatic again—just like the first time.

No, she doesn't want that. She's no longer 12.

"Hi-_chan_… Kaede-_kun_!" The girls gasped and door of the closet started to shake. She mustered her strength and pushed the door. "I'm here—Kaede-_kun_! Hi-_chan_!"

"It won't open! What did you do?" Hisashi screamed angrily. Getting no response from the girls, he placed his attention back on the door. "Yui, push the door and we'll pull, okay?" Hisashi whispered and she responded weakly. "Okay, one-two-three!" They door squeaked and bulged but remained closed. Hisashi cursed on the other end.

"Yui," it was Kaede's voice. "Step back from the door. I'll kick it open," he said and she slowly moved back. "Cover your head, I don't want a scratch on that pretty face," he teased and she flushed. A faint giggle left her. She likes it when he teases her. It always makes her feel warm. She placed her arms on her head to cover her face and waited for the kick.

It came and she screamed as the walls shivered. The door folded slightly and with the hinges ruined, Kaede pulled the door open. Air went through the space and she looked up. Hisashi cursed at her state and immediately wrapped an arm around her, pulling her out. The smell of paint reeked to the bathroom and Yui coughed as fresh air went through her lungs.

"Damn, look at you…" Hisashi whispered, relieved. She snuggled to his arms and he embraced her tight. She had never been so happy to be with Hisashi. "You look all colorful—"

"—and damp and sticky," she finished and he chuckled. He palmed her head and cursed. "I'm fine, just a little shaken…"

"You're not fine. Shit, you're bleeding." She slowly opened her eyes and saw Kaede's face. She was never happier to see him but guilt washed through her again. Footsteps came from the door and she can hear Sakuragi's voice. But her attention was on Kaede and his dark serious eyes. Although it lacked all emotions, she liked his eyes. When she looks into them, she can see herself reflected on the surface. And she liked the way his stares make her feel…alive.

"I'm sorry I dumped you," she said out, a little loud. "I really didn't mean to… Would you… eat the bentou I made?" she asked and he smirked, not saying anything.

Yet she knew what he meant. Somehow, she had come to interpret the littlest gestures he made. A smile spread on her face and lightness filled her. She closed her eyes before Hisashi carried her up and her consciousness completely faded.

_**

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A/N:**__ There's more excitement here. Haha. Thanks for reading and please do leave reviews!_


	6. Hospital

_I wasn't really planning to add this chapter but since I'm running out of chappies for Yui and Kaede, I thought a hospital scene would be good. Besides, I've always expected the boys to tease Kaede about her, about getting dumped and all. My, my, Sakuragi probably had the time of his life teasing Rukawa here! he good news: I'm all attention for this story so expect updates to come sooner! :D_

_**ThePinkMartini: **__Haha, yeah they were quite mean. :) But it did suit the knight in, er, red jersey part. ;p_

_**LeeRaRa:**__ Haha, I won't tell but I hope you like this chapter! ^_^_

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Well, Sendoh will take a back-seat in for awhile. Will see where inspiration brings me. :D_

_**Disclaimer:**__ FY and SD are not mine._

**

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Hospital**

By Slavedriver2008

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"You dumped Rukawa, huh?" Hisashi asked and she flushed. The captain tried to stop himself from laughing. "Do you realize how much teasing he had to endure the whole week?" He finally laughed. "Sakuragi was mocking him non-stop—and I wouldn't say Rukawa was all cool with that," he blurted out as he peeled the apple.

It was her third day in the hospital. The doctor had to do minor stitches on her head and asked her to stay for the week. "Did I really say such a thing? I think you're pulling my leg," she told him, not pleased. She could imagine Kaede getting angry at the redhead. She did remember apologizing out loud for dumping him—but she didn't know his teammates heard it!

"Ha, Rukawa was all quiet afterwards. Well, if the girl I like openly dumps me, I'll stay holed in my house out of humiliation!" Hisashi handed her the cut apples and she ate it one by one.

"You forgot to take off the seeds," she noted and Hisashi scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I'm not used to peeling and slicing apples for you, it's been awhile since you got sick," he teased and she rolled her eyes. "You have so many visitors, huh?" he noted as he looked around the room, which as filled by bouquets of flowers. "Sendoh's right, you're popular."

"They're from my friends and some former members of the student council," she told him as she bit into a piece of already brown apple. "Miaka's family gives me flowers almost everyday." Miaka visited her on the first day but she was too busy with subjects to visit her in the succeeding ones. It was lonely in the hospital and she wanted to go home and go back to school.

A noise emanated from the hallway and they both turned toward the door. "The troublemakers are here," Hisashi said and she looked at him quizzically. Sakuragi's voice fleeted in the air and she could recognize Sendoh's voice. The redhead was teasing another quiet figure and she imagined it was probably Kaede. She braced herself for another encounter when the door opened.

"Yui-_san_! The genius came to visit you!" Sakuragi called and she laughed. Hisashi hit him on the head.

"Tone it down, this is a hospital," the captain said and Sakuragi frowned in a snooty way toward the captain.

"Good afternoon, Yui-_san_," Sendoh greeted and she smiled. Did he hear what she said about Kaede? It would be humiliating if he did. The 2 entered the room and Yui was slightly disappointed when they closed it behind them. She looked at the door, expecting another figure to come in, but was disappointed. "Waiting for anyone?" Sendoh asked in a tone that was not teasing her or anything. She flushed, shaking her head vigorously.

"No, I—It's nice to see you," she said. Sakuragi smiled smugly and laughed loud. Hisashi hit him in the head again.

"Ow—Anyway Yui-_san_, how are you dealing with the stitches?" he asked and she laughed. Sakuragi always makes her laugh, maybe because of the head or probably because he was such a clown.

"I'm getting better, well I can laugh without hurting my head." Sakuragi laughed and handed her a plastic of green apples.

"The captain said you like 'em green," he said and Yui nodded, thanking him. She had always loved green apples and liked eating them when she's sick. "Anyway, what do you do around here? Seems like a boring place…"

"I watch movies and read books…" A thought entered her head and she leaned toward the redhead. "What happened to your date? Did Haruka-_san_ enjoy it?" she asked. Last month, Sakuragi asked for her advice on where to take a certain girl and she recommended the amusement park.

Sakuragi laughed sheepishly and moved closer to her. "Actually…"

"Let me guess, she dumped you!" Hisashi teased, making Sendoh laugh lightly. Sakuragi looked at the captain murderously and turned to her again. "Sakuragi always gets dumped—51 times to be exact."

"Ahhhh! Don't believe that teethless monkey Yui-san!" Sakuragi said, holding on to his almost bald head. Hisashi wrapped the redhead's neck between his arms and gagged him. "Ahhh! Stop it captain!" Sakuragi suddenly looked at her in a serious manner and Hisashi stopped struggling to break his neck. "So…did you really dump that _baka_ Rukawa?" he asked and Hisashi hit him again. "Ow—captain?"

"You're too noisy Hanamichi!" he breathed out and Yui laughed too loud her head started to throb. Watching the two was like watching a funny duo in free television. Tears were beading her eyes when she finally managed to stop laughing.

"Fine! I'm not screaming again!" Sakuragi walked toward her side of the bed and looked at her menacingly. "So… did you really dump Rukawa?" Hisashi sent daggers toward Hanamichi but the redhead seemed to have been resistant to it.

Yui became serious. "Uhm... Why do you want to know?" she asked hesitantly. Was it proper to tell Kaede's teammates that she did dump him?

"BECAUSE THAT _BAKA_ DESERVES TO BE DUMPED—" Hisashi hit him again in the head and pulled Sakuragi away from the bed. "Ow!"

"Man, you're stressing me out!" Hisashi screamed and Yui laughed again as her cousin pulled the redhead away from the bed and out the door. Now she understood why Hisashi's hairline had been receding since he became a captain. Sakuragi was giving him a hard time but she wouldn't say she hated the latter for that.

"It's good that Yui-_san_ is finally laughing after the incident," Sendoh said softly and Yui blushed. Gah, it was Sendoh again. She always blushed when he's around. If she doesn't like Fujima, she'd surely fall for someone like Sendoh. "Are you going to watch another game?" he asked and the room fell silent, mostly because the 2 had stopped struggling.

Yui smiled sadly and shook her head. "I don't think I can handle being locked up again." Sendoh nodded and he sat on the side of the bed, leaning toward her.

"Hey—I allowed you to come but you promised not to flirt!" Hisashi screamed and Sendoh involuntarily moved away a little. "Good, keep the distance while I deal with this brat," he said as he pulled Sakuragi out of the room.

"NO! I CAME TO SEE YUI-_SAN_! HOW CAN YOU TREAT A GENIUS LIKE THIS?" he screamed and Hisashi closed the door to pull the redhead away. "HEY FOX—HELP THIS GENIUS!"

Yui was laughing lightly when the redhead disappeared and she stopped when she realized Sendoh was watching her. "Thank you for visiting me," she said, still slightly blushing. The room was suddenly silent but she somehow felt lighter. At least she was no longer bored.

"Did Yui-_san_ really dump Rukawa-_kun_?" he asked softly and she looked away. Why does everyone have to ask her _that_? What's the big deal? "If that brat got dumped, I wonder if Yui will dump me as well…" he said to himself and Yui's stomach was infiltrated by butterflies. "Yui doesn't seem fascinated with athletes."

"That's not true—" she blurted out and covered her mouth. Sendoh turned and smiled. "Yeah, I guess I dumped him without meaning to," she admitted with a sigh.

"That's what I heard," he said softly. He smiled wide. "I don't know if I should say this but…" He leaned closer and Yui blushed. Sendoh was really handsome up close and his eyes seemed to change color when she looked carefully. "…that punk's waiting outside." He smiled and jumped out of the bed, walking toward the door. "I'll leave Yui-_san_ with you," he spoke to the side of the door but no response came. "I'll go and look for the captain and the monkey."

Sendoh left the door ajar and Yui's heart was palpitating as she waited for him to come inside. A few minutes passed but nothing happened. Anxious, Yui stepped out of the bed and walked toward the door. She held on to the knob, heart on her throat. When Kaede came into view, her heart was pumping too loud she thought it will burst. He turned, surprised to find her on the door.

"Hi," she muttered and he didn't respond. "I was thinking of walking to the uh… I mean I wanted to…" The words were jumbled in her head as he watched her. She couldn't breathe, he had this presence that made her uneasy in a good way—and she doesn't like that. "Actually… I'm going to the…uh… I need air." She turned and walked toward the stairs, climbing up to the open area in the topmost floor.

Yui doesn't need to turn, she knew he was following her, very quietly. Once the door opened, she stepped outside and let the cold air wash through her tensed muscles. She stepped toward the edge of the roof deck and looked down, in the busy Tokyo world. Noises came from below and she laughed lightly when she saw Sakuragi's head glaring amidst the greenery of the park. He was arguing with her cousin—again. Sendoh walked out of the hospital and was watching the 2 fight from a distance, obviously fascinated.

The wind blew and she silently berated herself for walking out without anything beside the unflattering hospital gown. She turned around once she heard the door closed and Kaede walked slowly toward her. Her knees were wobbling from the sight of him and she sat down, gently, on the edge, hair being swept wildly by the gushing wind. He stopped when he was an arm away, hands inside his Keio varsity jacket. It was weird seeing him standing in front of her because he was so tall. Sitting down, she had to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

She rummaged for something to say but was disappointed because she could not make out coherent thoughts. Fujima never made her this inarticulate before. And she doesn't know what to talk about, for Seiryuu's sake.

"It's getting cold," he said in a monotonous voice.

"I don't want to go back yet," she answered and he raised an eyebrow. There was it again, the way she immediately translated everything he said as a gesture of concern. Maybe it was imbued in her or maybe she was too confident to take it as such. Because whenever she looked at Kaede, she doesn't see that apprehension. She was all too assuming and it probably annoyed him at some point.

"I should go," he said and she panicked. He doesn't have anything to say? Then why did he visit her in the first place? What was wrong with him? Was she just imagining all his warm gestures? Kaede turned, oblivious. Her head started to throb from thinking too much.

"I don't know why you visited me," she said aloud. "Or why you followed me up here." He stopped walking but didn't turn to her. "Honestly, I don't understand you at all—I thought I do but…" She clutched her head, the side that was hit by the paint cans. She gently rubbed it in circles, afraid that the stitches might open. A hand stopped her and when she opened her eyes found him kneeling in front of her, face inches away.

"Don't do that," he said softly.

"But it… hurts…" she mumbled like a kid. "And it's a little itchy…" She moved her hand toward the wound but he pulled it away again.

"It's starting to heal," he noted and she frowned, he doesn't have to point out what she knew. He intertwined their fingers together and warmth spread to her cheeks. "Yui is always too stubborn," he said, smirking.

"I'm not," she squeaked, trying to stop herself from squealing at his closeness. Some strands of her hair brushed through his cheeks and he smiled as their palms met. Yui blinked repeatedly as warmth spread from their palms met to every part of her body. It's been a long time since somebody held her hand and it actually felt good. His hand was a little cold and a little rough, probably from playing too much with basket balls. "Kaede-_kun_'s hand is big," she said and she gasped when she realized she said the thought out.

"Yui-_chan_ is all red," he noticed as if teasing her. "Cute." A smirk made its way across his face and she flushed harder, shaking her head to dispel the heat.

"It's not because of you!" she said defensively and then regretted it afterwards. He never implied anything to begin with—She really hated the way he speaks too little! "Kaede is too sure of himself."

"I never said anything," he said, whispered, and she heaved a sigh, which surprisingly did not relieve her.

"Why are you holding my hand…?" she whispered back in a childish voice. She coyly looked at him and he raised an eyebrow in response.

"Because if I don't, Yui will scratch her wound." He smirked. "Stubborn girl," he whispered as he leaned closer. She flushed, trying to remain calm, but her heart was pumping loud. If this continues, she'll die of a heart attack.

A forced smile spread on her face. "Stupid, I can still use my other hand," she said and he leaned closer. She can feel the warm air of his breath, starkly different from the cold air that moved around them. He slowly snaked his fingers around her other hand and she blinked as he intertwined their fingers together.

"Not while I'm holding it," he teased and she flushed again. "Does it still hurt?"

"No… not too much like the first time." Their eyes met and she wanted to turn away. But she can't, like every part of her body. She wanted to stay this way, this close to him. His touches were like cocaine, the more he comes closer, the more she wanted his warmth. She blinked, what was she thinking?

"Yui is beautiful up close…" he whispered and she leaned back, the wires of the roof deck stopped her from moving further. His dark eyes moved down to look at her lips. Yui blinked repeatedly.

"Don't… Hisashi is downstairs…" she warned and he smiled, watching the movements of her lips. The noisy sound Sakuragi made below fleeted in the air. "He'll see us," she whispered but he shook his head.

"No he won't." Their eyes met and connection flared between them, the same connection in the basketball gym, the same when he asked her out for a date, the same when they first met. She was briefly surprised that it could exist between them without their consent. And she couldn't say she doesn't want it.

Yui thought of a million words to tell him but all the thoughts faded when he leaned down, very slowly, as if the world were moving in deliberate motion. The breeze moved faster, harsher at the top of the hospital, but Yui didn't feel it—she was warm all over.

He kissed her.

Gentle. Soft. He moved away and she blinked repeatedly, still staring at him. Kaede kissed her. Kaede kissed her. Kaede kissed her. Kiss. Before she could say anything, he leaned down to kiss her again. This time, she was not surprised. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to have flown through every part of her body and she felt like a dozen candles were burning inside her.

This time, she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

Kaede was still holding her hand as they walked toward her room. Nothing was said between them and silence filled the little space that separated their fingers. She felt warm and light and dreamy. Every step was like walking in a dream. Blissful. She was brimming with all the unexplainable positive emotions she could not define. This was even better than the ones she had from Tamahome and Nakago and Suboshi. His hand tightened on hers and a smile spread on her lips as a figure appeared before her, standing in front of the door of her room.

The figure smiled wide and she blinked. Repeatedly. The image cleared and her mind made up a name for the familiar face. Fujima Kenji. She gasped and before she could think clearly, she pulled her hand from Kaede's hold and walked toward him, leaving the younger man a few steps behind her.

"Yui!" Kenji called and the world seemed to become real in an instant. The haziness faded and she jolted a little when the brown-haired _bishounen_ cupped her face with both hands. "Kyouko told me what happened—Look at you!" He planted a kiss on her forehead and stared at her intently. Yui blinked repeatedly. Kenji had kissed her. Bless Seiryuu.

"Why are you here?" she asked and he laughed.

"Why, to visit you of course!" He smiled wide, not moving his face from hers. "You should have watched our practice game instead—I'll make sure nobody touches you," he said a little too loud. He looked behind her and she immediately realized that Kaede was standing behind her. "Does your wound still hurt? Maybe I should kiss the pain away—" He leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips and her eyes widened.

A strong hand clasped her wrist and pulled her away from the captain before their lips met. Kenji immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and looked annoyed. Yui turned and she felt cold when she saw the angry look on Kaede's face. He pulled her but Kenji pulled her as well and she ended up leaning on the captain's chest. The younger man's hand tightened on her wrist and it throbbed from the tightness of his hold.

"Kaede—"

"Let her go," Kenji ordered. He grabbed the hand that was holding her and pulled it. Kaede's hand didn't budge. "You're hurting Yui." Their eyes met for awhile and Yui felt scared. What if they ended up fighting? Where was Hisashi when she needed him?

Kaede turned to her, bearing the serious angry but stoic face. Slowly, he let go of her wrist and Kenji's gentle hands replaced it. She winced when the captain's hand trailed the swollen skin, rubbing it with his thumb. She looked up to smile at Kaede, to say that she was fine, but the dark-haired player looked away. He placed his hands inside his warmer and walked away without another word.

"Kaede—"

"Yui, we need to do something about this," Kenji told her, pulling her toward the room. The ace player's figure was getting smaller and she wanted to call him back.

"But—"

"No, we need to put ice. I'll call the nurse and request a pack." He closed the door behind them and he assisted her toward the bed. Kenji walked toward the phone cradle and Yui thumbed the reddish skin, the spot the ace rookie held. She looked at the door, waiting for him to come back and take care of her. She wanted the door to open again. She wanted to see him and the stoic expressionless face. She wanted him to touch her again, to lean close.

But when the knob turned, the nurse came in with the pack for her wrist.

_**

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A/N:**__ Awww… This was a slightly sad chappie but I want more action to happen. Surprisingly, I'm getting an overflow of imagination for this fiction so expect updates to come sooner. Thanks for reading and please do leave a review! ;p_


	7. Home Alone, part 1

_The whole idea of this chapter came from __**Season's Call**__ on the kind of date she wanted for Yui and Rukawa. It didn't turn out too cheesy. :D Heehee. If you have an unconventional date in mind for Yui and Kaede, do let me know! :D_

_**ThePinkMartini: **__Well, I really don't want all these guys to run after her—I mean that doesn't happen in real life but I just thought it might be cute. I tried to not overdo it, hope it worked._

_**LeeRaRa: **__Here's more Yui-Kaede moments for your thoughts! :D Haha, the pairing is starting to warm up to me. :)_

_**Season's Call:**__ Actually, I can't name exact countries but in some Asian countries, cousins can get married. Quirky, but true. Yui and Mitsui physically don't resemble each other so I guess their relationship can be misinterpreted sometimes. :D Yeah, she's a lucky girl!_

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Glad you're liking the twist and the whole love triangle. :D I can't think of a good scenario for Yui-Sendoh but I'll put one once inspiration strikes. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **__FY and SD are not mine._

**

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Home Alone, part 1**

By Slavedriver2008

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A nervous sigh left Yui as she arranged her hair. She reluctantly raised her hand to push the doorbell but it fell down again, clinging nervously to a packed bowl of _ramen_. She earlier dropped by the _ramen_ house, hoping to see Kaede but was disappointed when she found it bare of him. The cook told her he was sick and when he saw the concern on her face, asked him to bring the ace player a bowl of Kaede's favorite _ramen_.

The cook even wrote down the address and after travelling all the way from Bunkyo, she could not bring herself to push the doorbell. What would Kaede say? Would he even open the door? Another nervous sigh left her and she shook her head. What's wrong with visiting him? He was sick. Also, she was just delivering food—it doesn't mean she had to stay. Fine, she wanted to stay but she can leave after a few hi's and hello's. She looked up and finally hit the doorbell, waiting for the door to open.

She heard footsteps and her heart beat wildly as it stopped in front of the door. She could imagine him looking at the peep hole and seeing her. The door immediately opened and Kaede's surprised face greeted her view. Her cheeks burned when he gaped at her from head to toe with a sharp stare. His brows creased when she pulled off a reluctant smile and she saw the unwelcoming glare in his eyes.

"I came to visit you," she stammered, stating the obvious. Her heart was pumping too fast she felt like fainting. "The man from the _ramen_ house said you're sick and—and he asked me to bring you food!" She showed him the plastic, hoping he'd just get it from her. She never expected him to be this cold and aloof; he didn't even greet her. It took Kaede awhile before he finally took the package, careful to not let their skins touch. He eyed the bandage on her right wrist, the one he clutched a few days ago, and she hid it behind her, smiling awkwardly.

"Wait here," he said and before she could react, the door closed on her face with a sound. She raised an eyebrow, surprised at being left outside. What was he thinking? Yui knew Kaede was not very warm—but it was unforgiveable to slam the door on a guest who brought food!

"_Baka_," she whispered as anger slowly crept through her. She was annoyed, irritated, furious. How can he be such a cad? She cursed him in her head and she balanced herself in one foot as a good deal of 10 minutes passed. Stiffly, she sighed and shook her head, unable to wait any longer. It was pointless, he doesn't want to let her in. Disappointed, she turned but stopped when the door opened.

"Get in," he ordered and she frowned.

"No, I'm going home."

"Suit yourself," he said in a devil-may-care tone. He was about to close the door when she stopped it, face flushed for the sudden change.

"I was just kidding," she squeaked under his merciless glare. He slowly opened the door and made way, still intently watching her. She accidentally bumped his arms and he moved away as if she had some skin allergy. She pretended not to notice but it bugged her. Great, he kissed her the other day and now he wouldn't even come close. What's the deal? Was he always annoyingly unpredictable?

Once inside, he threw her a pair of large slippers on the floor. "Don't stay for long," he said and she can't help but made a face. She was about to say more when he turned and walked toward the kitchen, the floor squeaking as he walked barefoot.

Yui looked around; his place was clean, the opposite of what she imagined in her head. Hisashi's apartment usually had all sorts of unnecessary and personal stuff on the floor, on the corners. But Kaede's place was neat, it seemed like he just cleaned. A curious smile left her face. Did he clean before letting her in? She looked around and found the place flawless. If she wanted to prove her hypothesis, she had to enter his room. She flushed at the thought—she'll never enter his room! It was insane!

She tripped on the big slippers and fell, but before she hit the floor, Kaede immediately scooped her into his arms. She winced when her ankle grazed the floor and he immediately carried her toward the nearest chair in the kitchen. He gently touched her ankle and she flushed at the contact. His hands were different today, they were warm.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked and their eyes met. The world stopped moving and one thought kept on lingering in her head. She wanted him to kiss her again. Kiss. Kaede was her first real kiss after the incidents in the book of the four gods. And his hands were gentle on her skin. Does it feel the same way once he touches her face?

She slowly shook her head, she can't be thinking of such things. Kaede moved away and she regretted shaking her head. He probably misunderstood her gesture. But it was too late, she can't ask him to touch her again. She slumped on the table, watching as he walked toward the microwave to pull out the _ramen,_ gingerly placing it on the table. He took 2 bowls and placed 1 in front of her. To Yui's disappointment, he sat at the farthest seat.

"I'm not hungry," she said softly, biting her lip. Kaede didn't say anything. "You can go ahead and eat." He took the bowl and started to eat, uncaring of her presence in the table. Silence filled them and it was not the type she looked forward to. It was an awkward stillness, something that she wanted to avoid between them. "Thank you for visiting me at the hospital…" she said eagerly, smiling, but he didn't even turn. She frowned from the lack of response. Why was he treating her coldly? After kissing her and hurting her wrist… She fingered the bandage on her arm. Why did he even hold her tight in the first place?

Kaede finished the bowl and stood up, walking toward the sink. He opened the cabinet and pulled out an empty lunchbox. When he placed it on the table, her eyes widened—it was the _bentou_ she made for him and it was already clean. A thin smile played on her lips and she felt warm all over. "You can leave now."

Leave? She blinked. Leave. She gasped. That's it? She hit the table and angrily stood up. "Fine, I'll leave!" she said out loud, glaring at him. She was so angry that she could not be discreet of her feelings. She was disappointed; she expected him to smile, to smirk, to tease her. She carelessly took the _bentou_ and threw it inside her bag as she stormed out of the apartment.

Yui clutched her bag tight. Her fists were clenched and she was shaking. "Yui—" he called in a low voice but she was already at the door, casting his slippers aside and slipping on her sandals. She turned the knob and opened the door roughly, heaving because of fury.

"I'm leaving! Thank you for your hospitality!" She said sarcastically and immediately slammed the door behind her. Tears beaded her eyes. His cold deadpan expressions and his wry remarks pushed her to the limits. Maybe because she expected too much from this meeting. She expected him to show more emotions, she expected him to be vocal, to… say something after the kiss.

How can she not expect? He kissed her and then suddenly walked away without another word. He never visited her again but Hisashi kept on bringing her green apples, saying it was from _that punk_ or _that brat_ or _that troublemaker_. She wanted to ask so many questions but how can she begin if he was too hostile? How can she move close if he was literally pushing her away?

She slapped her forehead in the same time she heard a faint crashing sound inside. But she was too mad to care. With heavy footsteps, she walked away from his apartment, trying to hold back tears. Her whole body was trembling and she shook her hands to whisk the emotions aside. Was it selfish to want his attention? To want to see his private place? To spend time with him?

A heavy sigh left her and she closed her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling and let out another heavy sigh, trying desperately to calm herself. She debated whether to go back and ask for an apology or to move on and forget what happened. Kaede didn't expect her to visit and he did try to accommodate her even though he was sick. Her eyes widened. She forgot that one detail.

He was sick.

Kaede was unwell but she never asked how he was feeling. He was probably in a state of pain and was trying to act casual. With hurried steps, she walked back to his apartment. She pushed the doorbell but no movements came from the inside. She knocked and listened but silence greeted her, as if the place was bare.

"Kaede?" she called, accidentally turning the knob. Lucky her—she didn't lock the door! She pushed it open and her eyes widened when she saw his unconscious form lying face down on the floor, unmoving. "KAEDE!"

Yui ran and moved him, cupping his scorching face. She moved her palm on his forehead and he made a sound, slowly opening his eyes to look at her in an almost dazed reaction. "You came back…" he heaved and closed his eyes, pulling her hand away. "Go home…" he uttered with hardship yet his touch betrayed him. It was tight on her wrist, not as tight as the last one but he held her as if he was not willing to let go.

"But you're sick—Kaede-_kun_…" He winced a little and she assisted him as he sat up. A little bump was evident on his head, caused by falling on the floor. "Why were you on the floor—" He shook his head and a thought passed through her head. Did he follow her? She could imagine him running toward her but stumbling because of illness. How can he be stupid?

Guilty, Yui wrapped his arm on her shoulder and assisted her up. "Go home, Yui…" he whispered but she shook her head.

"No, you're sick…" She stood up, crouched at how heavy he was. He held on to the wall for support to avoid giving her too much weight. He needs me, she thought. She can't just leave. They slowly walked toward his room and he was momentarily reluctant to enter. But her concern for him prevailed and she pushed the door open with her foot.

Yui flushed when she saw the mess on the bed; bulk of clothes and brooms and all sorts of cleaning materials were scattered on the floor. He really did clean before letting her in. "Yui—go home," he said, more sternly.

"No way. What would Hisashi say if he found out I left you?" She assisted him toward the bed, uncaringly pushing all the clothes out of the way. She palmed his forehead and heat made her panic; he was getting hotter and hotter by the minute. He could die if this continued. "Don't worry…" she whispered and he looked back in half-lidded eyes. She pulled the blanket and wrapped it around him. "I'll take care of you. I'm good at taking care of sick people."

She rushed toward the bathroom and opened the cabinet, looking for a thermometer. Once she found it, she ran back and placed it on his mouth. Kaede's hand reached for her but she already ran back to the bathroom, looking for a face towel. She unwrapped the cloth she found on the sink and flushed when she realized what it was.

"Oh…" she looked through what she found. She wasn't supposed to snoop but the size made her curious. Well, Kaede was a 6-footer bastketball player—he's supposed to have, well, big clothes. And big boxers. Her eyes widened. What was she thinking? She was supposed to be taking care of him!

Yui shook her head and placed it back, trying to forget what she saw. But every now and then her eyes would graze to it. She slapped her cheeks and focused on the task at hand. After opening a few more cabinets, she successfully found a dry face towel. Once she found what she was looking for, she left the bathroom and tried to forget what she stumbled upon in the sink.

She ran toward the kitchen but was disappointed that there was no ice on the refrigerator. Heck, there was literally nothing on it. How can he survive with so little food? Then again, he was always at the _ramen_ house. Was it possible that Kaede doesn't know how to cook? Or he probably doesn't have time.

Yui could not help but look through his apartment; it was filled with basketball jerseys, of medals carelessly placed on any available space. The living room was filled with recordings and when she took a closer look, found out it was properly labeled basketball games. Lakers vs Celtics. Bulls vs Kings. Basketball. All that was in Kaede's apartment—and probably his head—was basketball. He was too preoccupied with basketball to… fall in love. Her heart ached for unknown reasons but who was she to question what he wanted? She was too busy to fall in love too, wasn't it? She was too preoccupied—or tried to busy herself—by college life.

Gloomy, Yui walked back to the room and sat down on the side of the bed. She took the thermometer and frowned when she saw his fever had reached 39 degrees. She placed the towel on cold water mixed with alcohol and placed it on his forehead. Kaede squirmed. She pushed back the fringes on his face and smiled.

When she met him, she doesn't know he was a serious basketball guy even though Hisashi kept on repeating that fact. Even when they had a one-on-one, she still refused to acknowledge him as an ace player. Seeing his apartment proved the addiction he had for the sports. And it also showed how alone he was. Kaede was not like Sakuragi who unconsciously makes friends because of his loud and funny ways. Kaede was different, he was quiet—he seemed to like being alone. Selfish, Sakuragi called him selfish during the practice game. Selfish because he wanted to keep the ball to himself, to score his own points.

But then, maybe it was his way to hide the fact that he was always on his own, that he was lonely. Her eyes saw the mp3 on the bedside desk and she curiously took it, surprised that it was still playing. She placed the earphones and the sound of heavy metal filled her ears. She knew the song, the artist, she can even mistake the mp3 as hers! As much as she doesn't want to admit it, they were the same, trying to drown the silence with music and sports. He slowly opened his eyes and she smiled at him, turning the mp3 off and placing it back on the table. When he's sick, nobody takes care of him, nobody visits him. She was still lucky she has Hisashi, who was like an older brother, who takes care of her when her parents are away.

"Yui… go home…" She shook her head slowly. "You'll get sick too…"

"For the hundredth time Rukawa Kaede, I'm staying here…" she whispered and she took the towel to wash it again with the freezing liquid. She placed the towel back on his forehead and he looked back with the usual expressionless face.

"I don't need pity."

"I'm not doing this out of pity—" she said and she flushed at the thought. "I mean, I'm—Just shut up and rest will you?" she told him and he smirked. His demeanor had completely changed with one act and she brightened more as he looked through her. "What's so funny?"

"Yui is red, probably more red than I am," he teased and she made a face.

"Instead of flirting with me, why don't you just sleep?" she hit back and he laughed lightly, voice rough.

"I'm not flirting."

"Yes you were—" she said back, defensive. He thumbed her burning cheeks and she slapped his hand away. "What the hell is wrong with you? Go back to sleep!" He sat up and threw the towel away. Yui gasped and picked it up on the floor. "Why you—" She stopped speaking when Kaede slowly took off his shirt.

He threw it off on the pile of clothes on the floor and pushed the blanket away, showing off his muscular and well-toned chest. Yui's heart palpitated wildly. She had seen him half-naked once but not on a bed! Her eyes accidentally scanned through his body and she remembered the boxers on the sink. She shook her head to dispel the numerous thoughts that were filling her.

_I will beat Fujima in basketball and I'll have you in my bed…_

Wait, he didn't mean to…? She swallowed hard. Kaede saw her discomfort and leaned slightly on the bed with his left elbow. She covered her mouth to hide the redness of her face but it was futile, he knew she was troubled by his half-naked state. He eyed her with an almost mischievous look, the same look he gave her during the one-on-one and in the convenient store. For awhile, he doesn't look like he was sick, he more or less resembled a, well, a sex god. Yui flushed more at the thought.

"Stop it—" she said and he laughed lightly.

"If you really want to make me feel better…" he said sternly as a smirk made its way across his handsome face. He patted the vacant space on the singular bed. "Come here and make me warm."

_**

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A/N:**__ I'm not sure if this chapter worked but I hope you liked it! :D AND yes, there will be a part 2. Don't forget to drop your reviews!_


	8. Home Alone, part 2

_Here's the much awaited part 2. Haha. Enjoy reading and please do leave reviews so I'll know what you think of this story. Also, I'm open to your suggestions on the kind of date you want Yui and Kaede to have. :D It'll be really helpful if you can share some ideas._

_**Ms. Licorice/ThePinkMartini: **__Yes, tension has come! I hope you like this chapter!_

_**LeeRaRa:**__ Haha, yeah, here's the continuation. I would love to know what you've been imagining. Haha!_

_**Season's Call:**__ Haha, well when one's sick, they almost always feel cold. Kaede's hot because Yui felt that he was hot, but Kaede's feeling cold. As for why he took off the shirt, eh, he wants to tease her of course! Haha._

_**Khryztinne:**__ Haha! I didn't know you're reading this fiction! Yeah, it was cute, ne? I love Rukawa when he gets all sensual. -^_^-_

_**Disclaimer:**__ FY and SD are not mine._

**

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Home Alone, part 2**

By Slavedriver2008

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Kaede's eyelashes were long, Yui thought. A smile spread on her lips as she watched him sleep. She had been looking at his face for Seiryuu-knows-how-long and she always finds something new and fascinating. Like his eyelashes—she likes his eyeslashes.

She was lying beside him on the bed, still in her clothes—to her relief. Only, his long arms were wrapped around her, pulling her close to his muscled body. He was no longer as feverish as he used to be. The medicine worked, she thought, and it was a relief that he was no longer pulling her too much. She slowly blew on the sweat on his forehead, some stray hair moved from being stuck from his skin.

A sound left him and he snuggled to the pillow, pulling her closer. He slowly opened his eyes and Yui closed hers, pretending to be asleep. She was not supposed to stay beside him on the bed. She initially planned to move away once he fell asleep. Obviously, her plan did not push through—she could not move. His legs and arms were pinning her down and he always pulls her close when she tries to move away.

Kaede cleared his throat as he opened his eyes and immediately saw her sleeping beside him. He smiled. Yui felt a finger brush through the side of her face, very light, very gentle, as if it were a mellow blow of wind. She tried to remain asleep, uncaring of his small touches. Her cheeks brightened when he lined the sides of her mouth and then eventually thumbed her chin. She wanted to frown because although she was tempted to touch him earlier, she always decided to simply look. But he was different, he was very physical, very touchy, and she never thought he was the type.

He moved his fingers to trace her cheeks and she felt a tingling feeling from the tips of his fingers. She immediately pushed his hand away and made a sound of annoyance. She snuggled to the pillow—his arm—to hide the flush on her face. A light laugh left him and he pulled her hand, wrapping it around his waist and pulling her toward his chest, cheeks leaning on his muscled upper body. The immediate contact made her heart beat loud and she swallowed hard, inconspicuously, as he brushed his fingers along her hair.

Both of them never said a word and she listened to the beats of his heart, which was starting to sound like hers, erratic and pumping loud.

He pulled her to the bed and wouldn't let go earlier, even though she literally struggled and screamed at him. The only reaction she got was a smirk and the same old lame excuse: I'm sick. The way he forced her into his bed can be labeled as harassment but she couldn't cry foul. Why? Because deep inside, she wanted this.

She leaned closer, uncaring whether he'll know that she was no longer asleep. It was wonderful to touch him, to be this close. It was the reason she visited him in the first place, she wanted to be close to Kaede. When they're close, all the hesitation, all the awkwardness, everything disappears between them. She liked the feel of his body, liked the warmth he exuded and the various emotions his touches could ignite in her.

A hand gently cupped her face and a wonderful shiver crept through her skin, at the points where they touched. Their eyes met and his stares were different, he no longer had the cold blank stare. She could see emotions in his dark eyes but it was still too vague to be read. He thumbed her cheek and blood rushed to her face. "Does your wrist still hurt?" he asked very softly.

She moved back to listen to his heart, refusing to meet his gaze. "Just a little."

"If I'm holding too tight… tell me and I'll let go." The wild beats of his heart was starkly different from his composed voice and the cool reactions on his face. Kaede's embrace loosened and she shook her head.

"It's fine…" she whispered, slightly dazed. She wanted to berate herself. His fingers returned to brushing her hair and she could feel the gentle blow of breath he was releasing. "Kaede's hands… are very gentle…" She closed her eyes, unaware that she was voicing out her thoughts. Their feet brushed against each other and he fidgeted.

"Your feet are cold," he noted and Yui flushed. "I'll warm them…" She gasped when he brushed their feet together under the blanket. She covered her face, further burying herself into his chest, to hide the humiliation she was feeling at the sudden intimacy between them.

"Kaede—Stop it!" she squeaked, finally looking up to him, face beet red. "If you don't stop, I'm going home," she whispered angrily and the most unbelievable thing happened: He stopped. She blinked and waited for the usual response. Suit yourself. It didn't come. He was acting differently today. "Are you still sick?"

"I'm fine," he said in the usual lifeless voice.

"Oh," she said dumbly, still meeting his gaze. "I should go home then." She turned toward the edge of the bed to stand up but she couldn't move. He had held her sternly. "Kaede—"

He faked a cough and snuggled closer. "I'm still sick." She flushed and tried to think of what to say. It's not everyday that a handsome man snuggles to her, and outrightly flirts. She blinked and shook her head. She shouldn't be tolerating him! She shut her eyes. She should stand up, she should go away, she should leave before anyone sees them. But she can't. She damn can't move.

"Body heat doesn't cure coughs, _ne_." She pushed him away and sat up on the bed. "Let go—I have classes tomorrow." She was about to jump out of bed when he embraced her tight, face at the back of her neck. Warm breathing brushed through her hair.

"Stay…" he whispered and heat spread through her face. "Just a little longer, Yui. I'll be better in a few more minutes…" Yui sighed and she nodded. She doesn't have much choice does she? He was holding her tight and he doesn't look like he wanted to let go soon.

"Fine but don't push it—" She almost screamed when he pulled her back on the bed and crawled on top to place his head on her chest. "KAEDE!"

His hand covered her mouth and he moved up, facing her. "I can't sleep if you're too noisy," he said matter-of-factly. Yui pulled his hand away and looked at him with disbelief. "I'm comfortable sleeping face down."

"BUT WHY DO I HAVE TO BE UNDER YOU?" She was feeling feverish from their position and if he doesn't move away soon, she might end up getting sick because of heat. Kaede frowned and sighed. Without another word he intertwined their hands together and nailed her hands at the side of her face. "What are you—" He leaned down on her chest and she screamed. "KAEDE!"

"Yui is soft," he said, snuggling closer to her neck. "I don't take advantage of ugly skinny girls." Yui felt like she was slapped in the face. Kaede thought of her as a skinny ugly girl. Skinny. Ugly.

She stopped struggling and frowned, facing the ceiling. She was ugly and skinny and undesireable. It was probably the reason why he doesn't mind having her in his bed, because she doesn't trigger any sensual feelings in him. All this time, it was probably the case. But it was true, she was not very beautiful. Still, it hurt when he said it out. He slowly moved up to face her and she looked away, slightly angry.

"Yui looks funny when she's angry," he teased and she rolled her eyes, trying to push back the tears. She always gets misty-eyed when she's angry. Crying had become the outlet of all her pent-up emotions. Right now, she was disappointed. She thought he liked her, she thought he was attracted to her. She thought… She annoyingly stared at him.

"Yeah, I'm ugly and skinny and—" she sniffed and pushed his hands away. "You're horrible," she breathed out, struggling to stand up. She wanted to leave and regretted not doing it sooner. "Let go—" He cupped her face but she pushed his hand away. He held on to her neck and she gasped when he slowly kissed her, leisurely moving his lips on hers. "Don't…" He kissed her again and her mouth followed his lips. She felt dazed, like drinking a bottle of tequila. Straight. "Kaede-_kun_—"

Kaede covered her mouth with his lips and she fell down on the bed, savoring the kiss. Her fingers brushed through his shirt-free shoulder and she unconsciously lined the muscles on his chest. Kaede made a sound, kissing her deeper. He damped her lips with his tongue, cupping her face and inclining her for a deeper kiss. She fidgeted when a hand slowly landed on her waist, under the sleeveless shirt she wore. And her nails dug on the skin on his shoulder when he entered her mouth and tediously explored inside. She moaned contentedly.

Yui's eyes darted open as the reality sank on her system—Kaede was kissing her. And it was not just a light feathery kiss. It was a real kiss, the ones lovers do. He felt her hesitation and slowly moved away, looking back in an intense sharp stare. She swallowed hard as he wiped the sides of his mouth, licking his lips clean. Her face was burning and she doesn't know what to say. Kaede kissed her and she kissed him back. Just like in the rooftop.

"What are you doing…?" she asked. She was fully aware of what happened but what she wanted to know was why he was doing what they did. Why was he kissing her to begin with?

"Kissing you," he said point-blank. Yui expected him to say more but was disappointed when silence enveloped them. She covered her face to hide the shame, hide the emotions that were pouring out of her. She wanted the encounter to end, to wake up and find out this was a dream. Like the many dreams she had of him after their first kiss. "Yui…?"

Why? She wanted to ask but she could not voice it out. She was afraid of what he'll say, afraid of what might happen. Even though she came here to be close to him, anticipated intimacy between them, she could not ready herself for any possibility. Kissing him was something that filled her thoughts, a figment of her imagination that filled the four corners of her room after he insinuated an intimate relationship between them. Hearing him say it out for real was alarming. And she doesn't know why. She wanted to hear him speak his mind—heart—out but she was not ready to hear it.

Contradictions. She was full of inconsistencies today and she doesn't know which part was caused by him and which was due to her own volition. The bottomline, she thought, was that she doesn't understand her own feelings.

She wanted him to speak but she was scared of what he'll say. She wanted to hold him close but was afraid of what it might mean. She wanted to stay in his arms but again, she was frightened of the consequences of staying beside him. Sooner or later, Kaede will speak, Kaede will break the silence, Kaede will do what he wanted—thought would be appropriate—under such circumstances.

But she was not ready for any possibilities. She was not ready to fall in love again. Her heart, her mind, her body, were still trying to get over the last heartbreak she had. Her soul still longed for the same person to fill the void. But why did she initiate contact with him? When they met, she could easily disregard him as one of Hisashi's team mates. She could easily forget about his name, his stares, his aura and place him among the thousand faces she sees everyday in every part of Tokyo.

Was it her fault that it had come to this? Was it her mistake that they have become tangled in a completely unpredictable and undefined relationship?

"Yui…" he called again in a soft clear voice. She didn't take away the hands on her face. "Yui…?" Kaede called again and she didn't respond. Quiet as he appeared, Kaede had strong observation skills. He knew. He felt the confusion in her.

He leaned closer, fringes moving softly at the back of her hand, tickling her. His face was inches away, no, inches too near. If she takes away the hands, she'll regret it. Because she lacks control. Because she always gets carried away by her heart. Her weak wavering heart. Just like what happened a few minutes ago.

"Yui…" he called again, voice getting tight. Kaede tried to pull her hands away from her face but she refused. "If you don't look at me, I'll do something you'll regret." She could imagine the sternness on his face and the deep stare he was bestowing on her. He made a sound of annoyance and she almost screamed when he forced her hands away, clutching them at the side of the bed. The hairs on her skin prickled as their eyes met.

"What do you want now?" she growled, annoyed. She struggled to move away but he was holding her tight. She tried again, harder. Nothing. He didn't nudge. She turned to the side of the bed. "Kaede—get off me!"

"I want Yui as my girlfriend," he whispered on her ear and the world seemed to have stopped moving. Girlfriend. Relationship. No.

"You're sick, you're delirious—" she said, a little too loud. Her eyes widened when he leaned down to plant a kiss at the back of her ear. "KAEDE!" She turned to him and he placed his forehead on hers, pushing her to the bed. Their eyes met and she felt scared, she was sweating but cold. She looked down, away from his eyes, which was an ordeal since he was leaning too close.

"Yui—"

"I LIKE FUJIMA! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU _THAT_?" She clutched her hands tighter, further pinning her down on the bed. Her whole body was trembling and her mind was clouded with panic. Relationship with Kaede? It was not possible.

"If you like Fujima why are you here?" he challenged. "Yui is very unpredictable—"

"Stop forcing me!" she screamed and Kaede's eyes widened. He regrettably and slowly moved away, sitting on the side of the bed with his back on hers. Yui turned toward the other side, pulling the blanket closer. She was cold and trembling and she doesn't want to talk. Her face was burning and her heart was doing all the unnecessary palpitating movements as if it had a life of its own.

"Yui…" he said softly.

"I'm not ready," was her curt reply. She answered too soon, she thought. But she can't take it back, she already said it out. A deep silence enveloped them and Yui realized it was the silence she hated the most; the type when nobody knew what to say and if they tried to say something, things will only get worse. It was the same silence that comes between 2 people in a rocky relationship, the silence before they parted ways.

Yui was never good with relationships—she never had one. She doesn't know how it begins neither does she knew how it ends. She only knew it exists, in soulmates like Miaka and Taka.

"I can't wait," he said and pain shot through her heart. Tears beaded her eyes but she continued to look intently at the blue blinds on his window, watching the little light that passed between it. Silence again. None of them made a sound or even moved. He waited for her response and she leaned deeper on the pillow that used to cradle them both. She can still smell his hair on the sheets.

"No one asked you to wait," she said and something clutched her heart. It throbbed and hurt. She sat up from the bed, still turned away from him, facing the wide expanse of the wall with a little window, where little light passed between slabs of blue blinds. "There's nothing to wait for to begin with."

A solitary tear fell from her eye and into the sheets, creating a curved line across her cheek. Yui berated herself silently. Her reactions were starkly different from what she feels and she doesn't know which to believe. It was like having 2 Yui inside her; and she got more confused than ever. Yui wiped her cheek and smirked. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back on the bed. She made a sound as she hit the cushion and her eyes widened when Kaede loomed on top, sweat glistening from his naked chest. He looked at her intently and thumbed the tears at the sides of her eyes.

"Yui, I lo—" The doorbell rang and they both turned toward the door. It rang again.

"Hoy Fox, open up will ya!" Sakuragi's voice filled the air and Yui's eyes widened when she recognized the other voice.

"Stop screaming Hanamichi!" Hisashi said loud. Panic filled Yui's system and she pushed Kaede away to arrange herself and her bag. She ran toward the kitchen and Kaede pulled her hand.

"Hisashi can't find me here," she answered defensively even though he had not asked.

"Why not?" he asked and she looked at him with disbelief. She frowned as the pounding on the door continued. Why not? She rummaged for an answer but could find none. There was no reason to hide from Hisashi. But still. She shook her head and moved away, walking toward the kitchen window, where the fire exit can be accessed. His hand stopped her again. "We're not done talking."

"RUKAWA _BAKA_! WAKE UP AND LET US IN!" Sakuragi screamed and a little fight with Hisashi ensued outside. Inside, Yui's heart was pounding wildly.

"There's nothing to talk about," she answered roughly. "I told you, I'm not—"

"RUKAWAAAAA!" It was Sakuragi again. Yui shook her head. They can't talk—if there's anything to discuss—with Sakuragi and Hisashi around.

"I should go—"

"If you leave," Kaede said sternly, a little too loud. "Don't come back." Yui's eyes widened and their eyes met. He was serious, too serious she felt scared. The pounding continued and she closed her eyes. The other Yui prevailed and she turned away, climbing the window and out without being seen. She was thankful she wore shorts but regretted it when a nail brushed through her legs, immediately making it bleed.

"Aw…" She bit her lip, expecting Kaede's hands to assist her. It didn't come. She turned toward the other side and found him standing, watching her. For a second, pain shot through his eyes before it disappeared in the usual stoic stare. Kaede pulled the window down and locked it. He looked at her for the last time before he pulled the curtain over the window.

Once he was gone, Yui felt stupid. More than anything else, she felt like she had just committed a very big mistake.

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A/N:**__ Yeah, hate Yui here! I'm not sure if they were both in-character but it sure sounded weird reading Rukawa change reactions—the littlest he had, actually. So, do tell me what you think!_


	9. Cold Night

_I realized that this fiction is very young and innocent—and I do plan to maintain that. I will end the first part with Chapter 12 and update my other stories while I contemplate if I should add another season for Yui and Kaede. I plan to finish__** Prince Next Door **__and__** Eternal Serenade **__right after this fiction. As for__** Eien no Monogatari**__, it might get extended. Haha. Despite my lack of inspiration for EnM, I can't seem to find it in me to end the story yet. Things will get dramatic, I tell you. I also want to start__** Rain and Thunder**__, my Yui-Tokiya summer romance. As you know, it's summer already and my inspiration always changes with the season. ;)_

_**ThePinkMartini:**__ Yeah, Yui's a little confused here. I want her to be cautious of relationships especially since she did hurt many people in the book. This time, she's still unconsciously hurting people by evading a possible love._

_**LeeRaRa: **__I think some girls tend to be a little dense. I'll discuss that more as the chapter goes along. I think the last chapter didn't end nicely, ne? I didn't get much reviews for that one. Haha._

_**Season's Call: **I __agree that Yui can be heartless sometimes, I think it's because she's always too cautious of relationships. Wasn't planning on adding Miaka and Taka but it sure improved this chapter. Thanks for the suggestion!_

_**Obsessed Dreamer: **__I can't remember how many times Yui rejected Rukawa. Haha! I hope she learns her lesson and run after him before its too late! :)_

_**Disclaimer:**__ FY and SD are not mine._

**

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Cold Night**

By Slavedriver2008

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Yui has repeated the scene over and over in her head, and every re-enactment made her feel guiltier. She felt stupid, to say the least. Thousands of unpleasant adverbs were in her head and she had never placed herself in such a depressing state. She literally blamed herself, a thing she always avoided whenever she committed mistakes. For her, things will always even out soon.

This time, however, she can't comfort herself with the same lines. Regardless of the numerous times she jumped and do her spins, Yui could not brush away Kaede's face in her head. Everything that happened that afternoon felt like a dream. And it ended too soon. Fairytales never existed in real life to begin with.

"Hoy, you're too preoccupied you're a bore to watch." She lifted her downcast eyes and found Hisashi, leaning at the bar that separated the bleachers from the ice. A smirk spread over his face and Yui slowly skated toward him.

She was practicing for a competition and she was not in her element. Even her coach noticed and let her off earlier than usual. Solve whatever problem you have, he said. I don't want a skater who's performing half as bad. Instead of going home and figuring things out, she opted to skate some more to clear her thoughts. Still, she can't concentrate and it's all because of one damn guy.

"Why are you here?" she asked, not the bit interested.

"I have a game next week. Are you gonna watch?" he asked as they walked toward her things. She sat down and untied the laces of her skates.

"Probably not."

"Well that's understandable, considering that happened to you a few weeks ago," Hisashi said in a very understanding tone that made Yui frown. He knew she would never go but he still asked her to come. What an annoying relative. "Anyway, Rukawa got sick last week."

"I heard."

"From who?" he asked and Yui looked up to him with a frown.

"What are you driving at?" she asked defensively. She was not in the mood to talk about Kaede. Why can't people avoid mentioning his name? Why does the world have to talk about him to begin with? Like she cared.

"Whoa, easy. You're a fierce vixen today." Yui rolled her eyes and changed into her normal shoes. She arranged her things and heaved a sigh as she re-tied her hair in a bun. "Were you at his place last week?"

"No, I don't even know where it is," she lied. She knew exactly where he lives but she would be stupid to tell Hisashi. Why are you scared? She asked the question in her head again. Kaede asked her before she left but she could not give a concrete reason even after week.

To be honest, there was absolutely nothing wrong with being seen in Kaede's place by her cousin. She has no reason to leave that afternoon. But fear gripped her when common friends arrived while they were having _The Conversation_. She cursed in her head. Kaede was right, they haven't talked yet. But what would happen if they do? What would come out of it? If she stayed she might end up being forced into something she doesn't want. Something she'll regret later on. The men in her life, or at least the men who caught her attention, she realized, always knew how to get their ways with her.

"I saw a pair of girl's slippers inside his apartment. Thought it was yours. Now, I didn't know that punk allows girls inside his place." Laughter came from the older man and Yui sighed again, staring at the big pool of ice.

"Hi-_chan_, did Rukawa ever had a girlfriend?" she asked. He's never dated but he sure knew how to kiss. And if he wasn't kissing girlfriends, she doesn't know what it meant. The thought didn't please her at all.

"None that I know of. Why are you interested?" Hisashi asked, evidently looking for a way to tease her. But she was not in the mood for some bantering. She wanted to go home and take a hot bath and sleep and stop thinking of Kaede. But she was scheduled to watch a movie with Miaka and Taka. Another boring film where she was destined to become the undesirable third wheel.

"Rukawa is not a vocal person and he seems very evasive of relationships." Hisashi sat beside her and turned toward the ice. A zamboni had come out and was clearing the doodles her skates made awhile ago.

"Girls like him and they're not discreet about that fact. I wonder why he never had a girlfriend, or even went out on a date." She sighed and looked down, watching the plain white sneakers she wore.

"Well, he is kinda selfish—and he wants to leave Japan. Even during high school, he wanted to fly off to America and be an international basketball star." Hisashi placed his hands at the back of his neck and leaned on the bleachers.

"I don't see the connection between relationship and Japan." She was stupid to continue the conversation but she wanted to release a little of the frustration she had for him. There were many reasons why she dumped him last week and thinking about it, none of it made sense. Now that she gave it a deeper thought, there was absolutely no reason to dump him to begin with.

"You're such an innocent college girl, you know. Put it this way, if he enters a relationship Rukawa either leaves her or turns his back on his dreams. It's always one way or another. There's always a choice to be made and no matter which one he chooses, he'll hurt someone." Hisashi sighed. "Now that I think about it, it makes him a selfless emotional punk. I think I'm mistaken somewhere. You should get a boyfriend. Its time you learn these things through experience."

Yui laughed and it touched her heart. "Ha, and you feel you're all wise when it comes to relationships. You're funny."

"Of course I am. Wanna count how many girlfriends I had? And how many I've brought in bed—" Yui slapped his shoulder and Hisashi smirked confidently.

"Jerk."

"Hey I don't always flaunt those details, you, my dear cousin, should feel proud." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her. Yui laughed again. "Now stop being a prude and watch our game on Saturday. Your friends might want to watch."

"Fine. I'll ask Kyouko if she wants to watch but I'll have to pass. Who are you fighting against?" she asked as they stood up. Hisashi took her duffel bag and she carried her skates and school bag.

"Todai. That's why you should watch."

"It's not a good idea. I won't know which side I should be on."

"Then wear something neutral," Hisashi said and Yui turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are you insisting I go?" she asked and he smirked mischievously.

"Well… that punk plays better when you're around. He doesn't fight much—and it's not just me who noticed." A wide teasing smile spread on Hisashi's lips and Yui blushed a little. She bit her lip and turned to continue walking, looking away.

"I think you're lying."

"Why not just go? You like Rukawa."

"I don't—Are you crazy?" She turned, flushed and guilty. Was she that obvious?

"No, I'm not crazy and yes, I think you like him. You're running away from the possibility of falling in love with someone who is not as intellectually-stimulating as you are." Hisashi's voice was serious.

"That's not true… I'm—I'm just not ready for a relationship, that's all." Hisashi raised an eyebrow and Yui sighed, turning around but standing still. Hisashi paced with her and looked intently. She turned away from his gaze.

"Eh?"

"I'm in love with someone." He didn't say anything and Yui closed her eyes. "He's not with me. I can't find him. I don't know how to find him. But I love him." She never thought she'd confess to Hisashi about her first love. It was the most unimaginable scenario.

"How old were you when you met?"

"Fifteen."

"And you last heard from him…?"

"Before I turned 16. And I never heard from him again," she breathed out. Even if she tried all ways, she could never see him again. If only he were reborn in this lifetime like Taka, she would be the happiest girl. But he was still as dead as the rest of her warriors. Like her dreams and her heart. Without him, she would rather be dead.

"Sorry to be rash but you're holding on to a love that doesn't exist. You're wasting your time." Yui looked up, a little angry. How dare he say such a thing?

"Are you implying—"

"You're in love with the idea of falling in love, that's what I see here. You can't stay that way, you know." Yui's eyes misted and she wanted to return the time and avoid confessing her deepest feelings to Hisashi. But she couldn't help herself. After years of keeping quiet, she wanted to voice out what she feels.

"I'm scared."

"Of letting go or falling in love again?"

A hopeless laugh left her. She must be mad for telling Hisashi these things. "I don't know. Both?"

"Grow up, Yui. You're no longer in Junior High, you're in college now. You can't be scared all the time. I told you this before, if you don't look around, you'll miss the person who values you more than anything—even more than his dreams." Hisashi walked ahead and Yui sighed. She paced with him, flushed.

"Why do I have this nagging feeling that you're pushing me to Kaede?" she asked and Hisashi smirked but didn't turn to meet her gaze.

"Oh, was I too obvious?" He chuckled, making her frown. "That punk beat me in a one-on-one last week. He trained really hard for the last weeks and has been challenging me every night after practice." Yui cannot help but flush harder. "The night he beat me was the same night he fell sick from exhaustion. But you should have seen the look on his face, he was so happy like his life depended on that win. Imagine the pain I had to go through to take him home. Man, he owes me big time." Hisashi turned to her and Yui looked away. "What's with the smile?"

"Nothing… I just…" She sighed. "Kaede is very passionate about basketball."

"And probably pursuing the girl he likes." A giggle left her and she covered her mouth. Hisashi laughed loud, his voice resonated in the skating rink.

"You're teasing me."

"You look like you're up for it." She slapped his shoulder. Now, she can't deny her feelings for him. Even though she tried to be discreet, Hisashi simply knew. He was annoying that way.

"What time are you playing next week?" she asked shyly and he laughed loud, again. "Stop it." Talking to Hisashi somehow took away the guilt and all the frustrations she felt earlier. Sometimes, it was better to share her feelings. She should learn to be more open. And he was right, she has to mature.

"Two," he noted. Yui made a face. "Why?"

"My competition starts at 4 p.m." She could not help but say it out in a sad manner. She somehow wanted to watch Hisashi and Kaede play. She'd seen him in practice games but never in the actual court. She wanted to see a real game. She wanted to know why everyone spoke highly of him. She wanted to know him better. Kaede. She's back in square one, it seemed.

"The schedule's too tight," he said as they made their way out of the rink. Hisashi walked toward the street and looked around for a cab. "I'll drop you at the cinema." She nodded.

"You don't have to watch. It's okay." She looked around as well. Streetlamps lit up the lanes and some establishments were closing in for the day.

"I always watch you skate," Hisashi said matter-of-factly.

"Well, you have a team to look after now. It's fine. I'll survive." She walked toward him and looked the other way, waiting for a cab.

"Your parents are watching?" he asked and she shook her head. What a stupid question. Hisashi doesn't need to ask that!

"Papa's on a business trip in Europe. Mama tagged along, says summer's a good time to walk the streets of Paris." She smiled wide. "They never watch me skate anyway so it's not a big deal."

"Things haven't changed much at home, ne?" he asked and she answered with a nod. "Great, a cab's here. I'll pay because I'm such a dear older brother today." He winked and talked to the driver. Yui laughed and for the first time after the incident in Kaede's room, she felt better. Maybe telling Hisashi about _them_ was not a bad idea after all. Admittedly, he became way cooler in her eyes.

* * *

She met up with Miaka and Taka, bringing her duffel bag. Hisashi insisted to take it to her apartment and leave it at the guard but she valued her skating things too much to let it under anyone's care. In short, she was balancing her practice bag and her school bag on her shoulders when the couple showed up for the movie.

"Yui-_chan_!" Miaka rushed to plant a kiss on her cheek. They haven't seen each other since the practice game in Keio and the brunette finally moved out of the house to rent an apartment near the university. Taka moved to the area too and they have been discreetly living together. "You're alone? That's bad, I thought you'd bring that basketball hunk along."

Miaka giggled and Yui raised an eyebrow. "Basketball hunk?" Miaka rolled her eyes as Taka walked toward them.

"Come on. Keio number 10. Rukawa Kaede?" Taka greeted her and she nodded. Miaka dangled on her arm and looked intently. "Tell me, Yui. Are you dating him? He's the campus heartthrob, you know. I had to tell all my classmates that you 2 are dating so they'll stop pestering him with love letters!"

"MIAKA! How can you spread a rumor?" Yui screamed with disbelief. Her face was getting warmer and warmer and if the conversation continued, Miaka will find out about her infatuation with the ace player. Infatuation? She cursed in her head. When she was talking to Hisashi earlier, she admitted liking Kaede. Now she was infatuated with him? What the hell is wrong with her tonight?

"_Baka_, he was glancing at you all throughout the game! How can you be so dense? It was such a giveaway, you know." Miaka pulled her toward the ticket booth. She turned to Taka for help but the latter shook his shoulder, smiling.

Miaka didn't stop pestering her and kept on asking if Kaede gave hints. She kept of giggling and voicing out how physically compatible they were and even until they were sitting on the theater and munching finger food, the former Suzaku no miko was lecturing her on what to do once Kaede started to show his _fondness_ for her. She only stopped talking when the opening credits rolled. This time, Yui noticed the way Taka wrapped his arm around the brunette and the way she easily leaned on his shoulder to watch the movie.

Yui was envious. They were very comfortable with each other. Even though Miaka had peppered her with attention earlier, Taka doesn't seem to mind being in the sidelines. Every now and then, the 2 would whisper and Miaka would giggle. Sometimes they would kiss and this time, Yui did not clear her throat. Strange, but she didn't find it awkward to be in the company of lovers. Every accidental turn she did, she found couples, like Miaka and Taka. They were watching a romantic comedy after all.

A month ago, she would have rolled her eyes and lectured the couple with her cynicism about public display of affection. This time, she was different, felt the warmth of each funny lines, each heartwarming scene in the movie. She wanted to laugh at herself because this was the first time she agreed to watch a chic flick and she was enjoying herself. She began to realize why couples do what they do in the cinemas. It was not because of hormones but because they were with the people who were valuable to them. When someone is with the person he or she loves, every place becomes paradise.

Yui wanted to find that person. She wanted to watch a nonsense movie with someone, hold his hand, kiss very discreetly in the dark, lean on someone's shoulder. She wanted to feel like a high school girl on her first date. She wanted to look into someone's eyes and see herself, see a woman who was ready to fall in love. Her eyes misted as everyone around her laughed with the main characters.

She found him, didn't she? But she lost him even before she did.

When Miaka and Taka kissed again, she hurriedly wiped her tears before the lights went on and exposed the brief moment she pitied herself. They decided to get burger and fries in the stands afterwards and agreed to occupy a public table. They ate slowly, the couple still as sweet as ever. She smiled at them.

"You're not in your spinster mood today," Taka noted and she laughed, shaking her head.

"It's because Yui is in love," Miaka pointed out and Yui shook her head violently.

"I'm not. I'm just…" She looked around and smiled wide. "I realized that life passed by before me because I was too… too into the past." Miaka leaned on the table and smiled knowingly. "Like we've been friends for 15 years and I realized we're no longer in kindergarten or middle school or junior high…"

"Yui…" Miaka's eyes were misty and the blonde smiled. Taka wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "We'll be friends no matter what. Even if you introduce the worst type of boyfriend or we'll fight over one guy—which I don't think will ever happen again—we'll still be friends."

"Boyfriend, huh?" Miaka held her hand and looked at her intently.

"Everything happened 4 years ago, Yui. You don't have to blame yourself or keep yourself from being happy. I already regained my heart, it's time you start claiming yours." Miaka tightened her hold on her hands and she smiled. She knew her hesitation right away, even without words.

The best kinds of friends, Yui realized, are the ones who never judge or blame you. And who knew the pain you go through silently every single day. They know when to hold your hand and tell you it's okay. And you believe them because they said it at the right time, in the right place, in the right exact instance that you needed assurance.

"I'm going to get something to drink before water pours around here," Taka joked and they both laughed. Alone, a tear fell on Yui's cheek. She pulled her hand away and wiped her cheek.

"I like him… very much… but I'm scared that if Nakago returns to this world, I might end up hurting him," she whispered. "In my heart, he's still here…"

"Love takes time to grow, Yui. Nakago is in your heart because you let him stay there. If you give Kaede a chance, he won't be able to fill Nakago's place but he can make a spot of his own, in your heart. A spot that might even overpower Nakago—but only if you let him." Miaka said calmly. She knew too much of love while Yui knew too little. Was this what she learned from experience? "Love is always about taking risks. It's all about letting people in, creating a space for them, nurturing them, and letting go when it's time. If I were you, I'd give Kaede a chance."

"Who told you I'm talking about Kaede?" she asked, flushed. Miaka laughed and winked before Taka joined them on the table, bringing 3 bottles of soda.

"I'm your bestfriend, Yui. I know you like a guy before you realize you like him," Miaka said confidently. Yui looked at her with disbelief.

She was halfway done with her food when an image caught her attention. Her brows creased when she thought she saw Kaede stepped out of the groceries, carrying bags of goods. Her heart palpitated wildly and she stood up, saying an immediate goodbye to the couple who followed her with eyes full of curiosity. Her immediate instinct was to run after him, which she did, clutching her bags. She was a few steps from him when a girl approached and wrapped hands around his arms. Yui's eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Ka-_chan_ is very slow! Come on, I'll cook you a nice dinner. You're free to stay over for the night as well!" The girl giggled and she saw Kaede heaved a sigh. Yui looked at the girl and her heart ached. She was evidently older, with beautiful straight blonde hair and a small doll-like face. She wore a tight and skimpy denim shorts and white halter top, showing her curves.

If Kaede has a girl like that, then he wouldn't mind being dumped by a skinny ugly girl like her, Yui thought. And she called her _Ka-chan_ while the most intimate name she could call him was _Kaede-kun_. Was she his new girlfriend? Kaede turned toward her direction and she turned back before their eyes met. She doesn't care if he saw her or if he intended to follow her or not. Nothing mattered.

Kaede was with a girl. He did not even… How could he…? She bit her lip, walking faster to get away from them. She tried to mellow down the throbbing but it was useless. Every part of her body was in pain.

_**

* * *

A/N:**__ Not sure if this chapter caught your fancy but things are getting serious between Yui and Kaede-kun. They need this, I swear!_


	10. Competition

_I'm excited to end the first part of this fiction because I can't wait to finish my other fics. I honestly made a mistake in putting up so many stories. But I will end those, I swear. I just need more time and inspiration. Anyway, I just moved in to a new apartment so I'm a little busy placing things where they should be. I'll be staying in Manila until the end of the year and hopefully get back to Tokyo just in time for spring. I realized I'm more inspired when I'm in a cold cold place. Haha. Btw, I've complete the chapters for the Part 1 and will be posting them in the coming weeks. :)_

_**LeeRaRa:**__ Haha! You're predictions are soooo close to the ending chappie! :) But I'm not saying more... my lips are sealed._

_**ThePinkMartini:**__ I'm still thinking of how to continue Prince Next Door since I seemed to have hit a dead end. But don't worry, I'll figure it out soon! :)_

_**Jade:**__ Oh my, Yui's my all-time favorite character. :) AND I'm also a Yui-Nakago fan! I've written quite a number of stories for those two. Let's see, I've written 3 one-shots and 2 ongoing stories, the most number I've done for one pairing. You might also want to check out my Yui-Nuriko and Yui-Hotohori stories! :)_

_**Obsessed Dreamer:**__ Well, I can't tell who that girl is... still too early! ;p But don't worry, everything will be even out soon._

_**Season's Call: **__Well, it is surprising to find Rukawa with a girl. Haha! But she will play a special role here. I might add some chapters after Chp12 but I don't know yet. Still have too many stories to finish for the year! :(_

_**Disclaimer: **__FY and SD are not mine._

**

* * *

Competition**

By Slavedriver2008

* * *

The most unbelievable things were happening today, Yui thought. Hisashi called her thrice, asking if she saw any strange things a few nights ago, on the exact night he fetched her from practice and the night she saw Rukawa with a date. Rukawa, she decided to call him Rukawa again. She wanted to establish formality between them, something that should have existed even before.

There was nothing strange about that night, only realizations.

Earlier, she got the test paper in one of her subjects and she almost cried when she saw the glaring C in red markings. It's a C, for Seiryuu's sake—she never received a C in an exam, regardless of whether she studied or not. And to further prove that this was not her day, she fell on her triple flip in the short program, effectively putting her in third place after the SP. If she wanted that gold in her first major competition, she had to be first in the free skate, which was an ordeal since she kept on falling in the practices.

The flip was one of her strongest jumps but why oh why can't she perfect it today? It will endanger her triple-triple combination and she doesn't want to play with risks. But it seemed that she had to risk it if she wanted to win. She hated the feeling of losing, hated the way people pity her after falling down, hated the sound the crowd made after every unsuccessful jump. Sometimes, she hated skating because it can crush her defenses. But most of time, she loved it. After every competition, she learned how strong she was and how capable she was in fighting alone.

It's a battle of wills and it's what she needed to overcome now—the will to lose.

She's tough, she knew that for a fact. She won 2 junior championships and only ceased competing when she had a hip accident. That was a year ago, and she's fully recovered now. She's here to make a successful comeback and to leave a mark in the professionals. She's here to win. But why were things not going her way? Well, there's always the long program to look forward to. She prayed Seiryuu would give her the strength and wished Hisashi would stop calling, it was starting to distract her.

"A round of applause for Hongou Yui of Bunkyo, Tokyo!" The announcer called as she greeted the watchers and prepared for the final routine. She will be dancing to Romeo and Juliet, a foreign song. The one she wanted was Sheherazade but her coach said many skaters use that music and it will put her in bad light if someone performed it today. He was right, one of the skaters chose the song. It was good that she listened to him. The idea was to change the performance once she can compete internationally. Let's show them how flexible you are, her coach said. Let's surprise them.

Romeo and Juliet was a song of love, of hope, of youth, of innocence. And she has to be that woman. It would have been easy if there were no emotions involved. But she was young and innocent, and in love—if that was a proper term for what she felt. The only problem, though, was that she was not hopeful and that one missing aspect made all the difference.

"Romeo and Juliet is a story of hope, even at the very end, the lovers were hoping for a better future together," her coach told her countless times. "You need to imbue that feeling in all your moves."

It was easy for him, hard for her. What hope should be taken from a love that didn't blossom? She realized, as she did her spins, that the men she loved never fully bloomed for her. Tamahome was forced into loving her, Nakago made her believe he loved her, Suboshi was too eager to get her attention, and Tetsuya grew impatient. After Tetsuya, she had come to realize that maybe love was not as easy to get as the ones Miaka and Taka shared. Maybe it was not her time yet. And so, she gave her attention on school and skating and everything that would make her forget about love and its complexities.

Things changed when _he_ came along. She had been alone for too long she had forgotten what it's like to be with someone she can hold and value. Hope. Maybe she was hoping all these years for love to come find her. Wasn't it her secret desire? To find love despite her busy schedule? To meet a man who interests her, who can keep her stay awake all night?

All thoughts filled her as the music played. Taka waited forever to be with Miaka. Why can't Kaede wait for her? She simply needed time, space to figure out her feelings. In the days they were together, she never evaluated the type of relationship they had because she assumed it was nothing special. He made her feel warm and giggly but it was a simple crush. She never expected it to reach a certain level—not until he kissed her. It changed everything, or rather, it made things confusing.

If Kaede didn't pull her close, she wouldn't be puzzled. If he never became sick, he'll never be talking nonsense. If he didn't talk, there won't be a moment of awkwardness between them. But then, there was no relationship to begin with. Maybe he doesn't really want her as his girlfriend. Maybe he just wanted to clarify what's between them, to put limitations to the intimacy. Maybe. Maybe. Her thoughts were filled with possibilities and she can lie and think and still not reach a conclusion.

But why does she have to think of what he wanted from her? What does she want from him?

The music reached her favorite part, where she did a triple Salchow, step, and then a triple flip. She did a stag jump afterwards and she ended with a series of beautiful and breathtaking spirals. She loved spirals, but she can't do a presentation with only spirals. But she did become known for her spirals. The last part of her program was a series of spins that ended with a I-spin before the music stopped and she ended her gesture with the pose she started with, showing a girl who was in love and hopeful.

She can sigh with relief when the music ended and she realized that she did not commit a mistake in the program. A laugh left her and she her hands tightened before she said a selfish "Yes!" Now it was up to the judges to make her win or not. She shook her head. They should at least give her a medal given the technical difficulty of her program, right? Her hip throbbed but she did not mind. It was probably caused by the fall in the short program.

"YUI!" Miaka called and she turned before walking to the podium where she had to wait for her scores. She smiled but her eyes widened when she saw Rukawa occupying the seat behind the brunette. He was still wearing his jersey and she flushed when he smiled thinly at her direction.

"STOP SPACING OUT!" Hisashi screamed and she made a sound when he threw a teddy bear toward her, too strongly it was too late to move out of the way. The bear hit her squarely on the face and she immediately fell backward, hitting the ice. Her hip throbbed harder and her whole face grew warm when the crowd erupted into a round of laughter.

"AHHHH! YUI!" Miaka called with concern. She stood up and covered her face in humiliation, refusing to look at their direction. Damn, she thought, Rukawa saw her in such a mortifying situation. She covered her face with the teddy bear once seated beside her coach who was trying to hide his laughter at the incident.

"Stop teasing…" she said, looking down and still hiding half of her face behind the teddy bear. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her tight.

"Except for that last fall, it was a perfect performance. Good job," he said and she smiled. Her coach seldom praises her performance and it always warmed her when he does.

She braced her breath for the scores. She needed to get a gold medal to make a successful comeback. With all the skaters done with their long programs, the score to beat was 190.3 points. It was an ordeal since she only had an average of 83.5 for the short program. The fall really cost her point deductions and minus in the technical marks. To get the gold, she needed more than a hundred points.

In her figure skating career, she never received another medal aside from the gold. She was exceptional in skating, everyone who watched her knew that. Though she slowed down when doing her jumps, it's always well-rotated and the landings were always precise and clean with a good edge. She sighed and bit her lip, waiting for the marks. This is her first professional competition and if she gets a good score, she might become eligible for international competitions. She might even be considered for the Japan Open. She had been dreaming of competing with the best skaters in the world, and to be in the same level is already glory in itself.

Her heart was pumping loud when the announcer started to read her scores. She wanted to do a rough addition in her head but her hip was hurting too much. It was not a good sign, it might mean she had to stop skating again. She bit her lip as she watched the scoreboard. The total came out: 105.3 for the long program. She cursed in her head, although it was the highest in the FS. It was still a point short of the score to beat. Her average was only 188.8 and she only ranked second. But then, it was better than nothing.

"It's okay," her coach said. "We'll get the gold next time." She smiled sadly and stood up for the awarding ceremony.

* * *

Yui replayed in her head what went wrong, why it went wrong, and what can she do to avoid committing the same mistake. Kaede, she meant Rukawa, was here and he was watching her. She avoided gazing at their side of the bleachers when she was awarded her medal. She was thinking of him all throughout the performances. She fell down because she remembered seeing him with a girl, hanging on his arm. And the worst was that he let her hang there. She was getting depressed again, and it was not a good sign.

In the lockers, she did some stretches to erase the pain on her hip. But it was still there and it somehow bugged her. What if she can't skate again? What if this will be her last competition? People will remember her as the skater who fell because of a teddy bear. Her doctors were strict, they allowed her to skate but only for a limited time. She changed into her pink dress and tied her hair in a tight bun. She was supposed to look like a ballerina for the exhibition and looking at herself in the mirror, she somehow looked the part.

When it was her time to skate, the spotlights followed her and she can barely see the faces of the audience. She chose to take off her contacts because she doesn't want to see him. Because when she sees his face, she could not help but think of the pretty older girl. And she might fall again. It's not always pleasant to fall on ice.

She buckled her legs to forget the pain in her hip but it remained as she went on to her opening pose. In the exhibition she was supposed to do a nutcracker but in the perspective of the ballerina who was left behind. If Romeo and Juliet was a hopeful piece, this one was more on waiting and it was introspection on a love that got away. It was a little hopeful, but it was more depressing and lonely. Because the love who left, might not be able to return. And she was not sure if he indeed loved her back.

_**I know your eyes in the morning sun… I feel you touch me in the pouring rain…**_

They have chosen a more modern song instead of those from the actual musicale. They were looking for a Japanese version but found none. In the end they settled for Birds and the Bees. The tone captured that nostalgia and she could imagine herself waiting for her tin soldier in the dead of night, as the rain slowly falls. She was the toy box ballerina and he was the soldier who went out to explore the world.

She could not help but think of him and his eyelashes and the light touches of his fingers on her skin. A small smile crept from her lips. She felt, again and again, what invaded her chest when he pulled her close. She liked that very much.

_**And the moment that you wander far from me… I want to feel you in my arms again…**_

In the short span of time that she knew him, Yui realized that his arms were always supporting her. When she fell from blocking him in the one-on-one, when he teased her in the convenience store, when she fainted out of hunger, when he embraced her in her first heartbreak during the concert, when he visited her at the hospital and gave her their first kiss…

She wanted to touch him again. Actually, she wanted him to touch her again. His hands were always comfortable and they do not have that malicious feel like the men who tried to take advantage of her in Kutou. Kaede's hands… she realized… made her feel loved.

_**And you come to me on a summer breeze… Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave…**_

The crowd was silent as she did an Ina Bauer before her opening jump, a triple Lutz, which she executed beautifully. Applause came when she landed and she can faintly make out Miaka's voice at the side benches. Still, she refused to look at her bestfriend's direction. He was there, she doesn't want to get distracted. He was still in her thoughts as she did her spins.

_**And it's me you need to show… How deep is your love…**_

Does Kaede love her? Did he ever feel that way? He was always unpredictable, always saying less, always quiet in the sidelines. He always lets her talk, always lets her assume things. He never corrected her, never clarified what he meant. He comes unannounced and leaves without saying a word. He was like a fox, always too sly and hushed. And he bombards her with sudden phrases that make her heart do all those somersaults.

_**How deep is your love… I really need to learn…'Cause we're living in a world of fools… Breaking us down…**_

Was he even serious about everything that he told her? Sure, he doesn't speak much but he doesn't show much emotion either. Hisashi and the people who knew him said so themselves, he was not a very vocal person. But still, she finds it hard to accept everything as it is. She silently wished he would speak more and say what he felt and not what's obvious.

_**They should all just let us be… We belong to you and me…**_

She liked him.

No, it was deeper than that. And she's affected because she doesn't want _them_ to end with mild flirtings. She wanted commitment, yes. She wanted to keep him. But hadn't he told her so? He asked her to be his girlfriend, and before that, he asked her to date. Looking at it now, it was actually very sweet of him. Then it occurred to her… was she sending him the wrong signals?

_**I believe in you… You know the door to my very soul…**_

It was a very short exhibition and she was glad it ended because if the music played longer, she would have admitted things she was not ready to confess. All that she knew, when the music ended, was that if she were given another chance to be with him, she won't turn back and walk away. If she can talk to him, she'll tell him what she feels, all of it. She wouldn't hold back. She wouldn't think of the past and think of him and only him.

"Hoy Yui!" Hisashi called and she nodded softly, acknowledging him. He was also wearing his jersey and clutching his duffel bag. He slapped her in the shoulder and she lost balance. She pulled her duffel bag closer and balanced the bear in one hand. "You matured! Your moves are more controlled now. Ha!"

"You humiliated me by throwing that teddy bear," she pointed out and he flapped his hand across his face. Sakuragi laughed mirthlessly behind him while Sendoh smiled wide. If her hip were not hurting she would have laughed because the Keio regulars were here.

_**You're the light in my deepest darkest night… You're my savior when I fall…**_

"It was Rukawa's teddy bear!" Hisashi pointed at the ace player and the other regulars parted way for him. He cleared his throat and she smiled thinly, looking down. She doesn't know what to say. What was there to say to begin with? She clutched the teddy bear again. It was weird that she was holding tight into something that came from him.

"YEAH, RUKAWA HUMILIATED YOU! HOW MANY DUMPING DO YOU HAVE TO DO BEFORE THIS GUY GETS IT?" Sakuragi screamed and Hisashi hit the redhead. Yui covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing. She shook her head as Hisashi pulled the troublemaker in the corner.

When she looked up, Rukawa had walked closer and was standing in front of her. She pulled the plushie to cover the lower part of her face. "Thanks for this, Rukawa-_san_."

He raised an eyebrow. She saw his jaw clenched. The surroundings seemed to have hushed and she can hear the last remains of the short program in her head. She wanted to berate herself because it was not what she agreed to tell him before she left the ice.

"I—" they both said at the same time and she flushed. She looked down and stared at the teddy bear. She embraced it tight as silence filled them again. It was an awkward situation and everyone was watching them. She sighed and finally looked up to meet his gaze. She smiled and he responded with a light grin.

_**And you may not think that I care for you… Well you know down inside that I really do…**_

"Ka-_chan_! There you are!" a familiar voice called and they both turned. Yui's jaw clenched when the beautiful girl walked toward them and clutched Kaede's arm. The closeness brought her back to her senses. She had forgotten about her. "I was looking for you—Oh, hi," the girl said, turning to her. "You're Yui Hongou right? You were amazing out there! I must admit I've become your fan! I'm Rise," she said in a happy voice. She extended her hand and she simply looked at it.

"Thanks," she breathed out as heaviness filled her heart. Kaede didn't even move away from her. She bowed quickly. All sorts of emotion filled her and if she stay, it will all come out of her. "Excuse me." She turned away without looking at him. She bit her lip to hide the jealousy that filled her.

"What happened?" Hisashi called.

"Keisuke! Can I ride with you guys today?" she blurted out and Miaka's older brother gave her worried looks. Miaka bowed at the players before they walked out of the stadium. "Let's grab something to eat first—I'm starved!"

She laughed but deep inside, she was crying. Miaka held her hand and Keisuke wrapped an arm around her shoulder. They knew. Tears fell from her eyes and she wiped them carelessly. "It's okay," Keisuke whispered and she nodded. "It's okay to cry when you're disappointed and hurting."

_**And it's me you need to show… How deep is your love… How deep is your love… How deep is your love…**_

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A/N:**__ Skating fans will notice that I'm deviating from Sasha Cohen's moves here. I just love the way she moves so gracefully on ice and still be technically good. Although I like Michelle Kwan a hell lot better, I think Sasha paved the way for a more technical form of skating, the ones Yuna Kim and Mao Asada do nowadays. Anyway, there's not much in this chapter but Yui trying to figure out her feelings. More action, actually the main action, will happen in the next two chapters. Please do drop reviews!_


	11. Spring Rain

_Yeah, I'm almost done with this story—the first part, at least. The thing about me is that I put my attention on one story especially if I know that it's close to ending. I hope you like all the twists and turns I've made here. Do tell me if you like this story so I can come up with part 2! I've been too busy I haven't been reading any new stories in FY. Are there any new Yui stories out there?_

_**LeeRaRa:** Wow, thanks! :)_

_**ThePinkMartini:** I only know skating by the book, not by actually competing and all. Actually, I'm not sure if I got the new judging system right. I'm more familiar with the older one. :)_

_**Disclaimer:** FY and SD are not mine._

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**Spring Rain**

By Slavedriver2008

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Yui fingered the silver medal she took home from the competition and a pained smile spread on her face. The image of the skating did not figure in her head. Instead, Kaede's face filled his thoughts. She was thinking of him again, after what happened yesterday. She should stop thinking of him. She should move on, the way he did. She should look forward to a new love. But still, the idea caused an unwelcome pain in her chest. She realized too late how important he was in her life. She should have given him more attention.

She wiped her cheek before the tear fell and she sniffed, standing up and placing the medal inside her locker. There was no use thinking of the past, it was over. She did some stretches and her hip hurt. The doctor had forbidden her from skating for the next two months and she's back to the boring uneventful life with nothing to do but study for school. She can't wait for spring to end. She wanted summer to come, because summer comes with skating and the beach and the sea and flings. The last two seasons were the worst for her and it all started on Valentine's Day.

The phone rang and she tediously answered it. "_Moshi moshi_?" She was alone at the apartment and she briefly realized if staying at her parents' house would have been better. But then, she'll also be alone. It was better to be here, at least she doesn't expect company here. At home, she always realized how quiet it was. And the house was too big for her anyway.

"_Hoy_ Yui!" It was Hisashi. She can recognize his voice and she made a sound of recognition. "How's your hip going? I'm at the mall now. Do you want anything?" he asked and she laughed lightly. Hisashi was going to look after her again. Somehow, it relieved her.

"I don't know. I really don't want anything," she said as she sat down on the sofa, raising her feet.

"Come on, you're not always this gloomy. Did something happen between you and Rukawa again?" he asked and she laughed, a little too loud.

"There's nothing between us. If there was something before, I'm afraid it doesn't exist anymore," she said as a whisper. "How about you get me an ice cream? I want dark chocolate and sweet and sour Pringles."

"Wow, you're putting all your depression on food. Anything else?" Hisashi asked and Yui thought for awhile. "I'll get a box of tissue just in case—"

"Dark chocolate and peanut butter. That's it—I'm fine with that," she said. "And don't forget to add Coke. I want to eat all the food I can't eat because of skating." She laughed again and Hisashi sighed on the other end.

"Okay, just don't kill yourself while I'm away. Wait for me, Yui." His concern made her smile and she can't help but giggle. They said their goodbyes and she leaned down on the couch. The wall clock suddenly caught her attention and she stared at it, without moving or saying anything. Time passed by and she doesn't care. What a very complacent spring weekend.

Her consciousness returned when the doorbell rang and she absentmindedly slapped her cheek to keep herself from floating. Hisashi was here, she was supposed to look okay. She stood up and very slowly opened the door.

"Yui-_san_," Kenji greeted and her eyes widened. She blinked. Did she comb her hair? Did she brush her teeth? Why the hell was he here? "I heard you won the professionals… Too bad I wasn't able to see you skate." She offered a bouquet of yellow starflowers and she blushed as she took it.

"I didn't really win…" She smelled the flowers and a smile made its way across her lips. "Oh, I'm sorry. Please come in." She made way for him and Kenji stepped inside, looking around her apartment.

"That's not what I heard—or read." He handed her one of Kanagawa biggest sports magazine and she gasped. She was on the cover with her one-handed Biellman spiral for Romeo and Juliet. "They're all praises for your performance. They say you've been robbed."

She flipped through the page where a comprehensive story on her was written. She gasped as her eyes read the glaring caption._ Was Hongou Yui robbed of the gold?_ Following the title was an analysis of her moves in both the short and the long program. It also included her scores and a collage of photos of every move she made with the judges scores underneath.

"I almost fell on my short program, _ne_." She told herself, engrossed in the magazine. The magazine also included how she was not supposed to get a 2 point deduction in the SP flip because there were very minimal problems with her jump. "Welcome to the real skating world." She closed the magazine, shaking her head and putting it on the table. Kenji was watching her when she finished, making her flush at the attention.

"You look cute when you're very interested about something," he said and she shook her head. Here he was again, flirting with her. Somehow, his words were not as heart-pumping as before. Now, that was a surprise.

"Thanks for the flowers," she said in return. She took the flower and placed it on an earthen vase. "Make yourself at home, Fujima-_san_." He nodded as he sat down. "How's Kyouko? Is she enjoying Sodai?"

"You two haven't been together in awhile. You should visit our house just like before," he said as a smile spread on his face. "Mom misses you and Miaka."

"Well, Miaka and I are a little busy lately."

"You do know that Hisashi is dating my sister…?" Yui's eyes widened and she looked at him with disbelief.

"WHAT?"

"She's denying it but I saw them in Shinjuku last week."

Yui shook her head. It was impossible. But then, Hisashi had shown interest in Kyouko ever since they met. "I don't know what to say. Did you come all the way here to tell me that…?"

"Sort of. Well, I came to see Japan's newest darling," he teased and she laughed. "Do you remember when I asked you to go out?"

"You did?" she asked back. Now, she can't remember much about her interactions with Kenji. Kaede has been occupying her thoughts most of the time and… she sighed. What's wrong with her? She was supposed to look for a new love, not wallow with a love that never was.

Kenji laughed. "Well, not directly. I asked you to watch our game. You should still watch," he said and she smiled wide. It didn't reach her eyes. "We're fighting Todai next week. Just thought you might want to watch."

"Todai… Hisashi asked me to watch their match with Todai yesterday… Did they lose?" she asked and Kenji laughed at her question.

"On the contrary." Yui looked at the captain with disbelief. Was she hearing the right things today? The right things from him? "I was surprised they beat Maki. I feel bad for your school." Yui frowned but she erased it immediately. Was it just her or Kenji was a little arrogant today?

"Well, I'm never a basketball fan to begin with," she said and quickly regretted it. His reactions did not change.

"If you watch us, you might become a fan." A crisp laughter left her and Kenji smiled. "As I was saying, we should go out one of these days."

"Why are you asking me out?" She asked stupidly. But she wanted to know his intentions. When he stood her up for his former girlfriend, she remembered feeling really hurt. But then, Kaede was with her that night and she remembered enjoying his company. "Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"We broke up before the New Year," he said, looking at her intently. Kenji sighed and crossed his leg. Yui watched every movement he made. Years ago, his mere presence would have driven her to insanity. But now, it seemed normal. "I'll be honest. She wanted to get back together. Do you remember when I didn't show up for the Incubus concert?" he asked and she nodded, not taking her eyes off him. "She called me and said there's an emergency. I told you before, when I came to see her, it was not an emergency at all. And I really do regret not watching the concert with you."

"I really don't mind—"

"I like you."

Yui's eyes widened and her face grew warm. It's not everyday that a heartthrob confesses his feelings for her. Then again, she never heard many confessions. And the ones she heard were hard to believe or turned out to be lies. "You do?"

He leaned on the coach closer to her and met her gaze. It took him awhile before he spoke and he bore a face that seemed to have been remembering something. "Do you remember when I offered to tutor you…? You were alone in the living room and my sister and Miaka were in the kitchen," he narrated and she nodded. "You were still a high school freshman then… And your hair was just a little longer than here…" He slowly trailed her jaw lightly with the back of his fingers. "You have that same face while you were reading the magazine…"

Her face felt warm. How can she forget that incident? It was the afternoon she realized that Kenji was the new love of her life. It was the time she wanted to run away from Nakago's memories and love someone who was completely different to him. She smiled and looked down. Kenji was one of the reasons Tetsuya grew tired of waiting. Because inside her, she was not just waiting for Nakago, she was also waiting for Kenji to be the man in her life.

"It was a lousy line," he said and she smiled. She turned him down immediately because she was not someone who needed tutoring. She wanted to bang her head on the wall after she did. She should have played dumb. He was giving her attention! "But I don't know what else to say… You're a very intimidating girl…"

"I am…?" she asked, surprised, and Kenji nodded softly.

"Pretty, smart, independent. And I'm just a captain of a team who lost to an underdog basketball club full of troublemakers." He leaned on his hand and looked at her with a soft look. "I guess I wanted to flaunt my school achievements a little. But you dumped me right on." He laughed lightly when Yui's face brightened.

"I didn't—" She sighed. "I really liked you back then." He turned to her and leaned closer. "I was red from head to toe when you offered to tutor me…" Sadness sunk on her system. She had pushed him away without meaning to. Did she do the same to Kaede? He leaned forward to capture her lips for a kiss but she slowly turned away, unconsciously. "I'm… I'm sorry—"

"There's nothing left for me anymore, huh?" He smiled, sadness evident in his eyes. "I guess I'm 4 years too late…" She shook her head as regret filled her heart. She liked him and she was hearing what she had imagined—wanted—to hear from him for the last 4 years. But now that she was hearing it, something was missing. It was not in him, it was in her. She changed.

"You're not late… It's just that—I'm sorry." He didn't say anything and just smiled. She bit her lip and brushed away the tears from her eyes. Looking back, did she even really fell for him or for the image she didn't see in him?

"Don't cry…" He pulled her and she left his arms envelope through her body. She embraced him back, tight.

"I'm sorry…" She looked up to him and he smiled softly. "I'm sad because… we can't bring it back…" she whispered but he heard it. "It was so…" she laughed lightly. "I almost had you…"

"I still like you," he answered, cupping her face and thumbing the tear on her cheek. "I want to take care of you, Yui. I want you to be my girlfriend." She couldn't speak and Kenji sensed her distress. "But to ask that from you, when you want someone else, would be very selfish of me, ne?"

"Kenji—"

He kissed her and her eyes widened. He slowly moved away, leaving her surprised and stiff. "I stole a kiss because I'll never be able to after we talked." He closed his eyes and leaned on her forehead, sighing. "I'll never tell anyone about this conversation but when the man you love turns his back on you, remember what I said: I still like you. I want to take care of you and I want you to be my girlfriend."

She moved closer to him and leaned on his chest. He pulled her close, too close. Then, he gently moved away, stepping back until the only thing that joined them was the tip of their fingers. He eventually let go and smiled wide as if nothing happened. She smiled back.

Kenji Fujima was close to being hers. At some point in the last 4 years, he belonged to her. And she didn't realize that. How can she be so insensitive? How can she let the time and the moment pass? How can she let the good men pass because of a love that Hi-_chan_ said doesn't exist? Was she looking in too much that she never noticed the people around her? She and Kenji, they could have been the perfect couple. But it will never happen now. Theirs was a love that stayed hidden for years. When it was revealed, it became so temporary.

They can never be who they used to be.

It hurt her, not because he won't be hers but because they can never bring back the time. Had she let love pass her by? They say how you treat love is how it treats you back. Did she overlook it all these years? Was Hisashi right when he said that she always knew how to push possible loves away? Another emotion stirred inside her? Did she completely blow her chance with Kaede?

The ace rookie was in her thoughts as she walked Kenji toward the door. Before he left, the captain planted a long lingering kiss on her forehead. He cupped her face and rubbed their noses together. "I'll see you soon, Yui." She laughed and nodded. "If you need anything—tutor, brother, friend—just call me."

"I will…" He moved away and looked at her intently. She wanted to thank him for making her feel good about herself. And for making her realize that if she wanted to be happy, she had to run after the one she loved and grab the opportunity. She wiped her tear and laughed lightly. "_Domo arigatou gozaimasu_!" She bowed to him and he did the same.

She stayed at the door of her apartment after he left. She checked her watch, Hisashi had not shown up yet. What time does he plan to arrive? Another sigh left her and she decided to go out for a walk and breathe. She had been thinking too much lately and nothing's happening. For one, thinking doesn't make Kaede appear before her. Well, she can imagine him sitting on the next bench, holding a bouquet of roses… She blinked repeatedly.

Kaede was sitting on a bench ahead of her. He was looking at the red roses and then he shook his head, looking like the world dropped on his shoulder. He sighed and Yui's heart palpitated wildly. It was him, Kaede. Should she walk toward him? Should she initiate the talk? What should she do? She hoped he would turn toward her direction and find her. She doesn't know why but if he did turn, she'll probably have the courage to walk toward him. She was unfair to him, she realized. She owed him an explanation.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and Yui smiled. She can offer to massage his forehead if it hurts… A woman suddenly crept behind him and covered his eyes. Yui looked away. Now she knew, he was waiting for Rise and he even bought her flowers. Something clutched her heart and she bit her lip, debating whether to look at their direction again or not. She closed her eyes and turned toward them, opening her peepers to find them walking away.

Yui immediately followed them. She was stupid to do so but she wanted to see what Kaede would do with her. Would he tease her? Would he smile? Would he smirk? Would he even hold her hand? She wanted to know. She wanted to see it for herself. If she can see them together, maybe she'll be able to erase the feelings she had for him. If she can feel the pain more, she'll heal faster. It was crazy but it might just work.

The two stopped walking and faced each other. Yui leaned on a lamppost and watched intently. She could not read their lips, nor could she hear what they were talking about. She strained to move closer without making a noise. Her eyes were starting to get misty from watching them too intently. A drizzle started and Rise took out an umbrella. Yui stood clinging to the lamppost, letting the rain wash through her body. She frowned, even the sky was crying with her heart.

Rise smiled wide and she moved closer to him. Yui turned away. She could not, for the life of her, watch them kiss! Her immediate turning caused her leg to hit a trash bin and it fell with a sound, scattering its contents on the ground. Yui fell down on the mess, her knee and hip aching almost instantly. She blinked repeatedly and realized that the contact lens on her left eye was missing! She annoyingly touched the ground, looking for the missing contact lens. She cursed as the rain made the ground darker, making it harder to spot what she was looking for.

Yui crawled and was about to pick it up when a foot landed on the ground, breaking it. She gasped in horror. The rain stopped falling on her drenched head. And she regretted looking up.

"Yui…" It was Kaede and concern filled his dark eyes. Rise stood beside him, holding the umbrella over their heads.

"Rukawa-_san_," she acknowledged and his jaw clenched. He suddenly looked angry. But she didn't care, she was just as furious.

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_A/N:_**_ The last chapter will be the last chapter for the first part. And it will be a moment of truth! Will Yui and Kaede end up together? Thanks for reading and please do drop reviews! Btw, I'll be putting this fiction in the Cross-over section once I put up the last chapter! Thanks for reading! :)_


	12. Home Alone, part 3

_The final chapter of part 1 is here. I don't want to say much. Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:** FY and SD are not mine._

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**Home Alone, part 3**

By Slavedriver2008

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What do you do when you see the love of your life beside another woman who was obviously more beautiful more mature more experienced than you? Why, you get angry, of course. And if the man you fancy broke an important part of you? You lash at him. You break his neck, if you could. You cry. You hate him.

Yui was feeling all those things. And it didn't help that he was seeing him clearly in another eye and vague in the other. She was getting a headache just by looking at him but for the life of her, she could not look away from his beautiful dark eyes. Kaede sat down and reached for her rain-drenched face, never taking his eyes off her. She felt the cold, the dampness, the pressure. She can stay this way, looking at him and being touched. But her heart throbbed among other body parts.

"Yui-_san_—are you okay?" It was Rise and she leaned lower to look at her. Anger filled Yui.

"Do I look like I am?" She bellowed, slapping Kaede's hand and standing up quickly. "Don't touch me—you—you—breaker!" She pushed him away and the rain began to fall on her head again, washing the world in colors.

"What?" Kaede asked, surprised.

"You always break what I have—my wrist, my heart—and now my contact lens! I should have known better!" She pushed him back again and immediately picked up the shards of what remained of her lens. Her knee throbbed and when she looked at it, found it drenched in blood. She angrily turned away from them, clutching the brokenness in her hands. She was bleeding and hurting and the only thing she wanted was to return to her apartment and cry under the shower. A hand clutched her arm and pulled her back. Kaede's angry eyes greeted her. "What are you doing? Let me go—Rukawa-_san_—"

"I'm starting to get angry—Why do you always run away from me?" He said in a loud voice. He pulled her closer, tightening his hold of her arm. "And why do you call me Rukawa-_san_?"

Yui pulled her arm back but he only clutched it. She felt the pressure of his hand but he was not holding too tight to hurt her, only tight enough to restrain her movements. "I'll call you the way I want! I said let go—If you don't, I'll scream!"

"Go ahead and make a scene," he said sternly. The rain snaked over his handsome face but his eyes never lose its intensity. "I'm tired of letting you have your way."

"What?" she asked. She was still surprised when he pulled her and carried her in his shoulder. Her eyes widened as he carried her easily as if she was a doll. "Aaaah—Put me down!" She slapped his back but he only grunted in response. She flailed her arms and legs but he only held legs legs and walked away. She caught a glimpse of Rise a mile from them, watching them with a surprised reaction. "RUKAWA KAEDE PUT ME DOWN, NOW!"

He didn't budge. He continued to walk as she screamed, kicked, flailed wildly. They entered a hotel and the staff looked at them with alarm. It's not everyday, you see a man carrying a woman slumped on his shoulder. It was not just un-gallant, it was also humiliating. The manager walked toward them and Yui's face grew warm.

"Sir is anything—"

"My girlfriend is very childish. She won't listen to reason. Please excuse us," Kaede said, not raising his voice. The man nodded and bowed as they walked toward the elevator.

"YOU—Don't believe him—Help me—" The door of the elevator closed on them and Yui stopped flailing at his back. "Damn you… to humiliate me this way… Put me down now—" Kaede walked out of the elevator and put her down on the carpeted floor. She ran back but he clutched her arm and pulled her toward a room. "Where are you taking me?" He punched a number on the security lock and the door opened. He pulled her roughly inside the room and the door immediately locked after it closed. When she pulled her arm back, Kaede let go. "Hey, hey—Open up, you!" She tried punching random numbers but nothing happened. They were locked inside the room.

"Only after we talked."

Yui turned to him, angry. He had literally kidnapped her and forced her again. She hated him. Seriously. "Why did you bring me here? Your girlfriend will not like that—" she teased, smirking.

Kaede's brows creased and he raised an eyebrow. "Girlfriend…?"

"Are you making fun of me?" she shot back as she pulled the door. Kaede remained standing a few feet from her, confident that she could not get away.

"Rise doesn't stay here," he finally said and Yui rolled her eyes. She turned to him, annoyed.

"Like I care."

"I rented this room for a month," he said as he walked further inside. Yui followed him with venomous eyes. She finally gave up on the door and watched him walk toward the living room. It was a medium-sized room with furnishings. It probably costs more than thousands of yen per night. She was not in the mood to talk about his condotel.

"Stupid, it's far from Keio," she said to make him angry.

"It's near you."

Surprise registered over her face but she quickly regained composure. "Whatever," she said in a monotonous voice but her face was starting to get warm.

"You never believe what I say," he said like a poor wet puppy. Their eyes met and she saw the loneliness in them. Like she cared.

"You never say anything believable, that's why!" She stomped toward him and pulled his drenched shirt. "Open the door—I want to go home—"

"Why?"

"WHY?" She breathed out, unable to control the thoughts that filled her mind in the last days. "Oh, I'll tell you! Because I can't stomach being with you—You are the most annoying despicable loathsome man I have ever met!" She pushed him back but he didn't move. He kept watching her. "And you know why I hate you? Because you—always—lead—me—on!" He clutched her hand and held it close to his heart. "I don't understand you and I don't want to understand you. You always smile and then you act like you don't know me at all. You kiss me but I don't hear anything from you—And you—" Tears fell from her eyes and she slowly wiped them like a kid, pulling his hand away from his hold. "You ask me to be your girlfriend but you give someone else roses…"

"You always dump me," he said softly, in a voice that was different than the one under the rain. "And you said you like Fujima…"

"Well I do like Fujima—and he brought me flowers too. Oh, and he asked me to be his girlfriend!" she screamed angrily, meeting his gaze.

Kaede was taken aback. He swallowed hard. "Do you belong to Fujima now…?"

Yui sniffed and tears continued to well from her eyes. "No…" All the negative emotions seemed to have been sliding away from her. Standing cold in his living room, Yui realized that she wanted to be in his arms. "Because Kaede-_kun_… I like Kaede-kun the most…" she said in a soft voice. He stepped closer, cupping her face and looking intently. His hands were cold but it sent a warm sensation over her damp body. "And I really want to be Kaede-_kun'_s girlfriend…" she whispered.

Kaede smiled. Before she could cry more, he leaned down to capture her lips for a kiss. She sobbed as he moved his mouth on hers, responding slowly and a little unsure. His arm pulled her close and she felt like drowning in wonderful unexplainable sensations when he slowly entered her mouth and lapped their tongues together. Instead of a cry, a moan left her. He pulled her closer and she clutched his shirt as their mouths moved in a steady breathtaking manner.

She was breathing hard when they parted and she blushed when he eskimoed his nose on hers. Heavy-lidded eyes looked at him and he smiled. Yui felt dizzy from the kiss and she clutched her left eye, covering it so she'll see him clearly. He kissed him again and she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his body.

"I like Yui-_chan_ the most too…" he whispered, cupping her cheek. She can feel the balminess of his breath. "I'm sorry I'm not very good with words… But I don't really have a girlfriend. I don't run after you because I thought you don't want me. Yui is very smart and beautiful and I'm not as good as Fujima in anything—"

"Baka…"

"When I asked you out, you said you can't because of Fujima. When I kissed you, you let go of my hand when Fujima came. Even when you were in my bed and we kissed and I asked you to be mine, you said you like him—" he said in a serious voice, like a kid telling his mother how someone bullied him in school. "I bought you roses but I saw him kiss you at your doorstep… Fujima is always one step ahead of me…"

"I was confused… Kaede-_kun_… I'm sorry… I'm… I was once in love with someone who never said a word about what he feels. When he finally said he loves me, I was so happy… But in the end, he lied to me. He never felt that way…" She stood on her toes to embrace him and his hands wrapped around his waist. "I've always wanted to hear you say it out… Will you take care of me…?"

"_Hai_," he said with a happy voice. His eyes danced in the light and he smiled. He leaned down to kiss her again and she smiled as he slowly pulled her, stepping back and slumping on the couch. He pulled her waist, asking her to sit on his lap.

"Wait, I'm drenched—"

"Who cares?" Yui smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, continuing the kiss as she straddled him. She laughed lightly as they moved their tongues together. She was not good in kissing and her inexperience was showing. But Kaede was such a good kisser she can only respond with a moan. She fingered the shirt on his shoulder and made a sound as she slowly pulled it up. He laughed lightly as he took his damp shirt off. He cupped her flushed cheek and looked at her intently. "You are very beautiful up close…"

Yui giggled. "I'm seeing two Kaede-_kun_…" she said. "I like them both." She leaned down for another kiss and she could not help but finger his muscled chest. Kaede's hand wrapped around her waist, underneath the shirt, and rubbed the skin on her back. Cold fingers lined her spine and she arched lightly, moaning in his mouth. She clutched the hair on his back as her breathing become uneven. She doesn't care anymore where they'll end up.

Happiness filled her. He liked her. He felt the same way. He still wanted her back. She was too happy to listen to reason and if he wanted to go all the way, she doesn't mind. After all, she doesn't hear a confession everyday, never felt so relieved so happy so in love with someone. She closed her eyes and focused on the movements of his hands and mouth. His hands were cold but his mouth was warm, and as he taught her how to kiss and move with him, she realized she liked the contrasts in him. She moaned contentedly, she was having the time of her life learning how to kiss him.

Kaede laughed lightly when their mouths parted. "You don't look very angry anymore…" he teased and her cheeks brightened. She pulled her hands from him and covered her mouth, shame filling her. He looked back, fascinated at the emotions that splayed over her face.

"Oh my god… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scream and make a scene," she said with panic. She touched his shoulders and looked at him intently. "I don't know what came to me. I guess I've been so emotional after always finding you with Rise…"

"_Ahou Daou_…" he whispered, smirking. He pulled her closer and she flushed, realizing she was literally sitting on his lap. "She's my aunt."

"NANI?" she gasped, eyes wide. "But she's—she's so pretty! She only looks a few years older than me!"

Kaede sighed. "Cosmetic surgery or something," he said with a slightly annoyed reaction. "Don't ever undergo those procedures, huh, Yui-_chan_?" She flushed at the way he called her and she ended up giggling like a kid. His face grew serious and he leaned closer to her.

"Now, do I take your shirt off too?" He pulled her shirt up and she slapped his shoulder, eyes wide. "It's unfair, you took off my shirt…" he said like a petulant kid.

"_Baka…_" He smiked as an idea hit him and she gasped when he slowly laid her down on the couch, moving on top of her without losing the intensity of his stares. "Wait—your couch will get wet—"

"If you're so concerned, let's take your clothes off," he said and her cheeks brightened again. "Yui-_chan_ is all red…" He leaned down for another kiss but before their lips met, the door automatically opened and Rise walked in.

"Kaede, I found your teammates—" She gasped and blinked. "Oh…" Sakuragi and Hisashi walked in and Yui gasped when her cousin's eyes widened at the sight of them.

"AAAHHH! YOU FOX WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO YUI!" Sakuragi screamed with a horrible yet funny reaction. Yui stopped herself from laughing. The redhead seemed genuinely concerned.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF KAMI-_SAMA_ ARE YOU DOING, YUI?" He stomped toward them and they hurriedly moved apart to arrange themselves on the couch. Hisashi was red and furious. "I KNOW YOU'RE DEPRESSED ABOUT RUKAWA AND ALL BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU TWO CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THINGS AFTER YOU KISS AND MAKE UP!"

"Relax, Hi-_chan_. We were not doing anything," she said softly, blushing. Well, they didn't do anything more than kiss and touch, but just a little.

"AND WHAT WE'RE YOU DOING ALL THIS TIME THEN?" Hisashi clutched his hair. "WHAT WOULD UNCLE SAY?"

"I won't tell Papa," she said. Hisashi looked at her and at Kaede.

"Did Rukawa bully you?" he asked and Kaede looked at him venomously. Yui laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Did you drink while I was gone?" She shook her head again. "Then why—"

"Kaede-_kun_ is now my boyfriend," she answered with a smile. Kaede looked at the captain with a vicious victorious look.

"EH?" It was Hisashi.

"_NANI_? HOW CAN YOU HAVE THIS SLY FOX FOR A BOYFRIEND?" Sakuragi screamed. "YOU ALREADY DUMPED HIM!" Yui laughed and Kaede wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. He stared at the redhead with a vicious look and he let his tongue out to tease him.

The two newcomers were about to react when Rise clapped her hands and laughed. "I'm hungry, let's all talk about this over dinner!" She pulled Yui's hand but Kaede didn't let go of her. "Ka-_chan_, don't be selfish with your girlfriend." Kaede shook his head, making Rise laugh. "Fine. Your mother and father will be very happy." She laughed and looked at the two boys. "Well, I expect you two to help me in the kitchen."

"_Hai_!" Sakuragi said and he marched toward the kitchen. Hisashi sighed and sat down on the table in front of them. He sighed again and looked at Kaede.

"We already talked about this. Don't do anything stupid." Hisashi stood up and walked toward the kitchen to assist Rise.

When they were alone in the living room, Kaede loosened his hold of her and fingered her chin to face him. "What?" she asked softly. He smirked.

"You didn't ask me to be your boyfriend yet," he said and she flushed. "Ask me now."

"What? How can you—I don't want to," she said and his brows creased. He frowned and looked away with a deadpan expression. "Argh. Fine!" He looked at her from the sides of his eyes and waited. Yui placed her hands together and held it up near her wildly palpitating heart. She swallowed hard and looked at him intently. "Would Kaede-kun…" She held her hands near her mouth. She never thought he would demand that from her. She thought it was automatic after they confessed! He turned toward her, leaning close and looking at her intently. She blushed under his gaze. "Would Kaede-_kun_ be my boyfriend…?" she whispered and his face lit up.

A tinge of pink spread over his cheeks and he slowly showed him a wide Cheshire cat grin. "Okay," he said, nodding. She sighed and then looked down, face warm. He cupped her cheek and her heart skipped a beat when he moved his face less than an inch from hers. "Yui-_chan_ proposed to me. I like that very much," he said.

Her protest disappeared when he slowly kissed her. Every part of her body was tingling from the kiss and she responded as the slow kiss awakened various sensations in her body. A little later, Hisashi could walk in on them and another screaming would occur. He'll probably lecture them intensively afterwards. Yui placed her hands on his chest as the kiss continued. His other hand wrapped around one hand and placed it on his wildly beating heart. Being berated was okay, as long as Kaede was holding her hand, she thought. And as long as he'll continue being her boyfriend.

**

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_A/N: _**_Yes, this is the end of part 1! I'll think over the summer if I want to continue this fiction or not. An idea's just around the corner but I'm playing it by ear. Thanks for reading and consistently giving reviews. Domo arigatou gozaimasu!_


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